“Over the years we've hosted client events in Hong Kong and the region with players such as Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Cristie Kerr,’’ Ball explains. “Golf forms an important but not dominant role in the bank’s client relationship development programme.”
On a more personal level, Ball says the connection he has made with the game during his time in Hong Kong has been crucial in the development of much more than what he does out on the course.
“I'm very privileged to have been a member of one of the great golf clubs in the world for more than 20 years and to have been on the General Committee for nine of the past 11 years leading up to the captaincy in 2010-11,’’ he says. “I'm sure that if I hadn't become a member all those years ago I wouldn't have stayed in Hong Kong for as long as I have.
“My social circle revolves around golf, my wife Pei Pei is on the Ladies Committee and my kids have grown up around the Club.’’
And it is from that position that Ball has witnessed the growth of the Hong Kong Open – and the development of the game both in Hong Kong and throughout China. The role the Open plays here should not be underestimated, he says.
“I think I'm right in saying that the Open is the second-most important sports event in Hong Kong after the [Rugby] Sevens, especially now with the tournament's position as the penultimate event in the Race to Dubai,’’ says Ball. “Yet, I'm struck by how little connection is made in promoting Hong Kong as a destination for tourists. The event is televised throughout the world on The Golf Channel and surely there's an opportunity in their broadcasts to showcase all that Hong Kong has to offer.”
