appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Josh Ball

A large crowd spent much of Saturday following Jon Rahm around Fanling as he made his way up the leaderboard at LIV Golf Hong Kong – further evidence, if any were needed, that the tournament is quickly establishing itself as an important part of the city’s social and sporting calendar.
And while attendance figures will not be announced until the tournament has finished, officials said a large number had made the trip from mainland China and overseas, with many paying thousands of dollars for hospitality tickets.
They certainly got their money’s worth at Hong Kong Golf Club, with Rahm’s five-under-par 65 taking him to 17 under and into a three-way tie at the top alongside Harold Varner III and Thomas Detry.
Among those watching the action was tourism chief Peter Lam Kin-ngok, who was given special permission by Beijing to skip part of China’s annual “two sessions” to attend.
The chairman of Hong Kong Tourism Board, who is a member of the CPPCC Standing Committee and will return to the country’s capital on Sunday, told reporters in a brief stand-up that it had become “one of the city’s most significant events”.

Between 40,000 and 50,000 people are expected to watch over the course of four days, Lam added, with a number of those the high-end visitors the city is so keen to attract.
“Hopefully we can do more, and we are expecting next year will be even more successful,” Lam said.
According to organisers, the exclusive two-tier hospitality venue Club 54, which sits along two sides of the 18th green and is used by the likes of the league’s partners Rolex and HSBC to entertain clients, had sold out for multiple days.
With Australian DJ Dom Dolla providing the late entertainment, the event ticked the sporting and concert boxes city officials see as key to cementing Hong Kong’s place as an “important events centre”.
“This year we plan to host more diverse events, with sporting competitions being key – like LIV Golf and Rugby Sevens, which will attract many high-end travellers to Hong Kong,” Lam said.
“We aim to leverage these events to draw them to Hong Kong, and to extend their stays.”
Those who make the trip for Sunday’s final round will get at least a three-way fight for the title, although Carlos Ortiz, Dean Burmester and Thomas Pieters, who are two shots behind the leaders, will fancy their chances as well.
Pieters had the round of the day on Saturday, carding a nine-under 61, which sent his 4Aces side into second in the team competition, two shots behind Smash GC on 42 under.

Rahm will also be fighting on two fronts, with Legion XIII in third a shot further back; not a position the Spaniard expected to find himself in at the start of the week.
Two of his teammates, Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin, were among the seven players he sent a jet to the Middle East to rescue after they were stranded by the US and Israel’s war on Iran.
“I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes,” Rahm said. “They’re both so young. Caleb’s turning 22 in a matter of days, and Tom is 23, and even though they’ve travelled a lot, that is a crazy situation to be in.
“Honestly, coming in I expected to maybe not be in contention. With everything they’d gone through, the travel, the stress, the worry, the lack of practice. Nobody could have blamed them if they’d had a bad week … just happy they’re here.”


Henrik Stenson’s place in golf history secure, but knows LIV Golf will merit a mention

Who is Garrett Clark? Meet the Good Good co-founder at the centre of a golf ad controversy

Meet Mikayla Demaiter, the hockey player-turned-model dating golfer Bryson DeChambeau

After the LIV golden years, it’s back to the future for Hong Kong Open and Asian Tour

LIV Golf

LIV Golf Hong Kong starts to tick boxes, with bumper crowd set for 3-way fight on last day

Jon Rahm, who was followed around by a large crowd, is in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard after day three. Photo: Elson Li

HKTB’s Peter Lam says LIV Golf Hong Kong has become ‘one of the city’s most significant events’. Photo: Elson Li

Thomas Detry is one of the three co-leaders going into the final day on Sunday. Photo: Elson Li

Sending plane to rescue LIV Golf 7 ‘simply my duty’, says Rahm, as Detry battle beckons

Jon Rahm tees off at the first hole during the third round of LIV Golf Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li

Caleb Surratt recovered after a bad first round to post a 65 on Saturday. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong triathletes out to make home advantage count in race to reach Youth Olympics

Hong Kong triathletes (from left) Yip Tak-long, Dominic Carson, Sarah Modiano, Wong Lok-tung, and Heidi Ng. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Triathlon Association of Hong Kong China’s president Chau Chiu-nam. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Sport

Golf

News

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Economy

Mainland Chinese, overseas visitors among crowds for event, which tourism chief says has become ‘one of the city’s most significant events’


Mainland Chinese, overseas visitors among crowds for event, which tourism chief says has become ‘one of the city’s most significant events’.


LIV Golf Hong Kong starts to tick boxes, with bumper crowd set for 3-way fight on last day

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Mainland Chinese, overseas visitors among crowds for event, which tourism chief says has become ‘one of the city’s most significant events’

Mainland Chinese, overseas visitors among crowds for event, which tourism chief says has become ‘one of the city’s most significant events’