Stenson unfazed over security
Former British Open champion Henrik Stenson says he has no concerns about security ahead of November’s Hong Kong Open as the tournament looks set to go ahead despite ongoing civil unrest.
Former British Open champion Henrik Stenson says he has no concerns about security ahead of November’s Hong Kong Open as the tournament looks set to go ahead despite ongoing civil unrest in the Chinese-ruled city.
Numerous sporting events have been cancelled in the territory due to antigovernment demonstrations over the past several months, but the Swede says the European Tour event at Fanling should be safe for players and spectators.
“I’ve never had any real concerns travelling anywhere in the world to play golf,” said Stenson, who headlines a field that also includes former Masters champion Patrick Reed.
“We have a Tour and they always put the safety of players and fans first. It’s something that I leave for the European Tour as part of the staging of this event, and whenever there’s the goahead to play a golf tournament I’m there ready to play.”
The protests began in June over a now-shelved controversial extradition bill that kickstarted a series of demonstrations that have turned violent.
The Hong Kong Open tennis event, which was due to be held in October, was called off while the Hong Kong Open squash championships were also cancelled. But the territory’s premier golf competition, now in its 61st year, will go ahead as planned. The November 28 to December 1 tournament fills the opening slot of the 2020 European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
Before appearing in Hong Kong, Stenson, who finished 20th at the WGC HSBC Champions event in Shanghai last weekend, travels to SA for the Nedbank Golf Challenge before taking his place at the Tour’s end-of-season DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
“When you have got 78 of the top players in the world, it’s never a bad week if you’re finishing 20th even if we always aim to finish higher,” he said.
“We want higher and we have the capacity for a lot better than that.
“I feel it was a decent start on a four- or five-week tour here and I’ve had a few days to practise before Sun City, which is my next tournament, and then the Dubai final, and then we come to Hong Kong.
“We’ve got to work hard and do the right things and we’ll get the return eventually.
“You never know when that’s going to happen. It would be good if Hong Kong could be that week where we get rewarded for that hard work.”
WE HAVE A TOUR AND THEY ALWAYS PUT THE SAFETY OF PLAYERS AND FANS FIRST