The hosting each year of the Link Hong Kong Open rekindles so many fond memoies.

I made my debut at the tournament in 2003 and the then third year of a joint Asian Tour and European Tour tournament that was first staged in 1959.

The timing each year of the Hong Kong Open was ideal for this golf journalist as it was late in the European Tour season and in those earlier career visits, it would break the long journey down to Australia for the Festive Season.

Welcome to the Hong Kong Golf Club. Image GolfByTourMiss

Selfishly, I also could not have asked for better maiden Hong Kong Open as Ireland’s Padraig Harrington won the title making it an ideal story that I filed to my then three Irish-based newspapers.

Fast forward eight-years to precisely 2nd Demember 2011 as I arranged with the Tour for dear friend Dennis Blasdale and myself to tee-up around 8am on the Old Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Late dear friend Dennis Blasdale teeing-off the 10th hole on the Old Course at the Hong Kong GC. Image GolfByTourMiss

Tommy Tucker. What a great name for a golf hole. Image GolfByTourMiss

The Old Course, and laid out in 1911, is one of three golf courses at the club and with the other two named the New and Eden and yes, the same names as three of the courses at St. Andrews.

The Old Course is closed during tournament week though with the permission of the Tour, Dennis and I met in the foyer of our hotel ahead of boarding one of the early shuttle buses on the near 20-minute journey to suburban Fanling and the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Dennis worked for the European Tour in handling all matters caddy related and he was a dear friend who most sadly passed away a few years later on.  We’d often get out early to squeeze in some golf and as long as we were back for our respective tournament work ahead of the first group finishing their round.

On this Friday morning, the opening hole of the Old Course was closed as it was being used for an overflow car park, so Dennis and I wondered down to the second tee and proceeded to enjoy our game in ideal morning conditions.

Unless you looked at overhead map of the trio of Hong Kong courses you would not realise in playing the Old Course that it was bordering another golf course.

It was peaceful, not a soul to bother us as we played holes with some great names including ‘The Bog’ and the 7th hole, ‘Tommy Tucker’ and the 10th hole, ‘The Gem’ and the name for the 12th hole being ‘Sandy’s Pulpit’ and not forgetting the 15th hole named ‘The Pulput’.

Image = GolfByTourMiss

Where the 7th hole at on the Old Course and named The Bog gets it’s name. Image GolfByTourMiss

Howver it was ‘Home’ and the final hole is where I am going with this story.

The par-4 18th is not a long and straight closing hole, measuring  338-yards from the White tees and 366-yards from the Blue tees.

When I talked about being out on the Old Course and not having not realising there is another course running alongside us, there was the first sight in the distance of the Hong Kong clubhouse as Dennis and I walked off the 17th green, and then as we stood on the 18th tee it was in almost full view.

The Armchair. Image – GolfByTourMiss

In seeing the clubhouse there was also the much clearer sight, and all the way down the left side of our 18th, and that being the opening hole  the Hong Kong Open championship opening hole and unlike for the past 16 holes, the tree line was very thin so that when I saw my tee shot head left, and I mean well left, it cleared the trees and landed slap bang in the middle of the first fairway of the championship course.

One of the early matches on day two of the tournament was the 7.30am three-ball of Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and China’s Wen-Tang Ling who had kick-started their rounds teeing-off the 10th hole.

As I watched my ball head left it was noticeable there was no out-of-bounds markers so as Dennis and I headed down our 18th we chatted what I should do, given Dennis and I were engaged in a Titanic tussel and the loser had to buy a pot of tea afterwards in the clubhouse.

Looking at this Hong Kong GC image you can see the closeness if you ‘spray’ a shot off either the first of the Hong Kong Open men’s championship course or if you are teeing-off the 18th of the Old Course.

However in nearing the point where I was about to head left and onto the ajoining fairway I sang out to Dennis: “Dennis?  That’s Monty walking off the tee”.

Not recalling exactly what Dennis said but it was something akin: ‘Quick, forget your ball and get your arse back over here”.

I did not have to be told twiced as the last person I wished to see was Monty, who I later checked had just bogeyed the 18th and the ninth hole of his round.

Scot Colin Montgomerie – Image Shuttershop

I quickly had thoughts of what he may say to himself if he saw me walking out onto the fairway to retrieve my golf ball.  It would something like: “That’s McGuire isn’t it?  What the bloody hell is he doing?  He better not be taking my ball”.

Dennis and I thought discretion was our best protection so we shook hands and walked the remainder of the 18th on the far right side of the fairway rather than incur any wrath of the Scot.

We stored our clubs and then now wearing our tournament passes headed into the clubhouse for breakfast and a cup of tea on the best verandah in golf  – See: http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2023/11/golf-club-verandahs-the-hong-kong-golf-club-veranadah/

One of the best verandahs in all of tournament golf ar the Hong Kong GC   Image GolfByTourMiss

This is exactly how it unfolded though it would not be a first time I have had a close golfing encounter with a well-known Scot as I was enjoying being out on the Fortrose and Rosemarkie a few years back during the week of the 2013 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart week the then Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmon was playing an ajoining hole.

Though I did not know initially who is was until I got closer and the First Minister kindly pointed out where my wild drive onto the hole he was playing had landed.

Unlike what would have clearly been an uncomfortable confrontation with Monty in Hong Kong, Salmon was all smiles in Scotland.

• Incidentally Rory McIroy captured the 2011 Hong Kong Open and his third of now 18 DP World Tour victories.