John Ball - The Captain

John Ball talks to Mathew Scott about combining his duties as Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club with his job as a managing director at Deutsche Bank

When work opportunities brought Ball to Hong Kong in 1986 he was happy to find that the game he loved was starting to flourish in the region.

And these days, as a managing director at Deutsche Bank, is on a few occasions at least able to mix his business with his pleasure.

“I wouldn't say [golf and business] go hand in hand but I do have the pleasure of playing two or three times per year with clients around the region,’’ says Ball. “Golf is such an expanding sport in Asia and many clients are new golfers, impressed when they learn that I have a low handicap.

“I'm always amused and embarrassed when they say I should be a pro. Little do they know that the step up from my level to professional is immense.”

Deutsche Bank has long-established links with the golfing community – internationally and locally – through such events as the annual Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, which is part of the PGA Tour’s all-import FedEx Cup Playoffs, in September and the Swiss Open on the European Ladies Tour held each June.

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Written by Mathew Scott

Photography by Charles McLaughlin

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