UBS Hong Kong Open
Robert Karlsson will be looking to go one better at the UBS Hong Kong Open following a second place finish 12 months ago
This week the European Tour visits the Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling, in the northern part of the new territories close to the Chinese border, for the UBS Hong Kong Open, the second tournament on the 2009 European Tour schedule. It’s a tricky, tree-lined course with elevated greens and firm, bouncy fairways. It’s a real test of scrambling skills which explains why 2008 European Tour Order Of Merit winner Robert Karlsson came so close to winning it last year.
Titleist ambassador Rory McIlroy fires his approach into the final green at Hong Kong Golf Club
With the 2009 season in it’s early stages a number of players are taking the opportunity to make changes to their equipment and the new 909 metals are continuing to find favour with a number of Titleist ambassadors. Here is a summary of the changes made this week in Hong Kong:
- Australian Scott Strange, winner of the 2007 Celtic Manor Wales Open, moved into the 909D3 driver for the first time and was very happy with its performance. Scott has also ordered a 909H (19°) for next week’s Australian Masters in Melbourne. He is already using a 909H (21°) but felt he needed something stronger lofted for the fast running Australian courses.
- Similarly, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen now has two 909H hybrids available to him and selects which one to carry depending on the golf course. Mikko is another player to be impressed by the performance of the new 909 metals and alongside his 909H also plays the 909D2 (9,5°) driver and the 909F2 (13,5°) fairway.
- The Titleist European Tour team have spent some time working on a 909 Driver for Paul Waring this week. The long hitting Englishman, who is embarking on his second full season on The European Tour, has taken away a 909D3 (8.5°) with a Grafalloy Blue X-Flex for testing. Paul was ranked 6th in driving distance on the European Tour in 2008 with an average of over 300 yards but will no doubt be looking to the 909 to help improve on his driving accuracy ranking of 130th. Paul has also ordered a new set of AP2 irons with a different specification. He will be working with these new irons when he returns home with a view to putting them in tournament play.
- Sweden’s Martin Erlandsson & Frenchman Gregory Bourdy have both made a switch to 909 this week by replacing their current fairway metals with the new 909F3 (15°) and 909F2 (13.5°) respectively.
Next week the Tour moves to Melbourne for the Australian Masters and the Titleist team will again be on hand to work with the players. In addition, Titleist Tour Representative Mattias Jelver will be on hand at Mission Hills Golf Club in China for the WGC World Cup where a number of Titleist ambassadors such as Soren Hansen, Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer will be representing their respective countries.
Add comment November 21st, 2008
