A different era - founding father of the Hong Kong Golf Open recalls the early days of city's oldest sporting event

Alan Sutcliffe was four under par after seven holes at Fanling and one of the foursome wasn't happy at all. It was the early '60s and Sutcliffe was one of Hong Kong's top players.

After scores of 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 3, irritable Welshman Kim Hall, a friend and rival, muttered: "If this ******* gets another three I'm quitting."

Sutcliffe lined up a 25-foot putt on the eighth. The ball never deviated as it rolled into the cup for yet another three.

Alongside the eighth hole was a road and, as it happened, a bus passed by at that very moment. Sutcliffe, Dick Carroll and Jock Mackie felt Hall needed to be true to his word. So the three of them grabbed Hall, bundled him on to the bus and sent him on his fuming way.

Another golfing day in the lives of a stalwart group of men who were the founding fathers of the Hong Kong Open, which in 1959 became the city's first international professional sports event.

Sutcliffe, Hall and Mackie all played in the inaugural Hong Kong Open 56 years ago. Sutcliffe was the second-leading amateur after his four-round total of 300 with Hall - who had the biggest role in ensuring the tournament would take place - and Mackie one stroke behind. It was won by Taiwanese player Lu Liang-huan, the famous Mr Lu who was runner-up to Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open at Royal Birkdale.