Difficult to sustain Open's isolation from regional Tour

As he waltzed to victory at Fanling in 1987, Ian Woosnam not only enhanced his standing as one of the world's outstanding golfing talents, but also added further credence to the reputation of the Hong Kong Open as the region's premier national Open championship.

Over the ensuing 12 years, much water has passed under the bridge for Woosnam . . . and the Hong Kong Open.

Born in 1958, the year before the launch of the Hong Kong Open, Woosnam has seen his stocks slowly dip since scaling the peaks in 1991 when he won the US Masters and topped the world rankings.

When he teed-off at the Hong Kong Golf Club last Thursday, Woosnam's ranking had slipped to 73rd. By his own admission, 1999, which he began in 36th place in the standings, has been a far from vintage year for him. Neither did he win an event on his home Tour in Europe, nor, for the first time in more than a decade, did he qualify for the European Ryder Cup team.

How wonderful then to see him regain a semblance of his old form and confidence this past week.

If his Hong Kong Open triumph in 1987 helped to truly launch his career, who's to say that his runner-up finish in 1999 won't re-ignite his competitive fires and provide the perfect platform for a revival in his fortunes going into the 21st century? But Woosnam, speaking prior to the tournament, readily acknowledged that he was not the force he was when he thrilled the Hong Kong galleries in 1987.

The same might be said of the Hong Kong Open.