Olazabal defends in Hong Kong

BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2002 Hong Kong Open | Preview | 26 Nov 2002

The Hong Kong Open gets underway this Thursday at the Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling in the New Territories.

The layout for this week’s event has been altered as a result of a grass disease known as Bermuda grass decline on several of the holes on the original composite layout for the tournament. This has resulted in a new layout being created from the fifty-four holes that are available at the Hong Kong Golf Club and they will no doubt come with a layout that will still provide a reasonable test.

Jose Maria Olazabal will defend a title that he won in a patch of form that started around his time and lasted through until the middle of this year and included his win at Torrey Pines. His form later in the year tapered off somewhat but his 19th place at the recent Volvo Masters suggests that he is close enough to repeat. Last year he won from Henrik Bjornstad with Adam Scott third. Bjornstad will play but Scott will be at the Australian PGA Championship.

Nick Faldo will be there, as will British Open runner-up, Thomas Levet, as well as Thomas Bjorn and a host of Asian PGA Tour players including the Tour’s current money leaders, Jyoti Rhandawa, runner-up last week in Taiwan and Thongchai Jaidee, who was runner-up to Colin Montgomerie in the recent TCL Classic event in China.

Australasia is represented by Kim Felton who played well last week in Taiwan, David Gleeson, putting together his best year as a professional, Adrian Percey and New Zealander Eddie Lee.

Co-sanctioned by both the European and Asian Tours, the event offers the winner an opportunity to leapfrog on to the European Tour.