Protests lead to Hong Kong Open cancellation amid fears for player safety
The European Tour has called off next week’s Hong Kong Open because of the ongoing civil unrest in the city, citing the safety of players and staff.
Keith Pelley, the Tour’s chief executive, was confident that the 65th-staging of the $2 million event would take place, saying as recently as 10 days ago that “we are comfortable with the tournament going ahead”.
There were eyebrows raised at the Tour’s adamance that the likes of Francesco Molinari and Patrick Reed would still be teeing it up at Fanling, after six months of protests at the creeping Beijing interference on legal and other rights guaranteed to the former British colony.
Other sporting events were quickly cancelled, including the PGA Tour-China's Clearwater Bay Open and the Hong Kong Open tennis and squash tournaments.
In fairness, the violence of the clashes has intensified in the meantime and despite the course being situated 20 miles away from the worst-hit areas, the international airport has been affected and ultimately that persuaded the Tour to make the call.
“The decision has been taken due to the ongoing level of social unrest in Hong Kong,” Pelley said in a statement. “As the safety of our players, staff, stakeholders and everyone involved in each and every one of our tournaments around the world is our top priority, we feel this is the correct, but unfortunate, course of action… We look forward to hopefully returning early next year.”
The Tour, in conjunction with the Asian Tour, which co-sanctions the event, is “optimistic” that the tournament can go ahead in 2020, with one possible date being the second week of February, which is currently a blank on the calendar.
Naturally, there is frustration in certain sections of the locker room who had possessed the choice to play in either Hong Kong or in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, that also takes place next week. However, it was clearly a difficult situation for Pelley to negotiate and it is understood that the Tour is considering reimbursing players and caddies their travelling and accommodation expenses.
“It is regrettable that the Hong Kong Open has to be postponed,” Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour chief executive, said. “But the unpredictability of the current situation in Hong Kong makes it very challenging to sanction the tournament especially with the safety of everyone of utmost importance. However, we are optimistic that once the situation in Hong Kong stabilises, we will be in a better position to sanction it in the very near future.”
Reed and Molinari are both playing in the DP World Tour Championship that starts in Dubai on Thursday, but the brunt of the focus will be on the leaders in the Race to Dubai as the Tour’s season-long battle comes down to the last event.
The Austrian Bernd Wiesberger holds the advantage, knowing that if he wins or finishes in outright second nobody can stop him from adding his name to the famous Harry Vardon Trophy.
Tommy Fleetwood, who won in 2017, is the nearest challenger and, depending on how Wiesberger fares in this 50-man event over the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, the Englishman can finish as runner-up in the tournament and still have a chance. Spain’s Jon Rahm, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and another Englishman in Matt Fitzpatrick are also possible recipients of the $2m bonus.
In sixth place in the standings, Rory McIlroy cannot win a fourth Race to Dubai crown. However, the world No 2 is the clear favourite to top the leaderboard on Sunday and so collect the $3m first prize, the biggest in Tour history.
