In 1959, Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba, Alaska became the 49th US state, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India and Gary Player won the British Open at Muirfield. Hong Kong had its own moment in history when Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC) member Kim Hall enticed a number of Australian professionals to come to play at Fanling - for the princely sum of #1,000, sponsored by the South China Morning Post. A tournament was born and it has since grown into one of the jewels on the Hong Kong sporting calendar and in Asian golf. It has other claims to fame - being the oldest professional sporting event in Hong Kong and one of only a few major golf tournaments that have been played at the same course for such a long period of time. Hugh Staunton, a member of the HKGC since 1958, recalls the early days: 'It was a small tournament to begin with, but it was still very exciting because it was the first professional sports event in Hong Kong. We were cut off from sporting events in other parts of the world, so to be able to watch great players like Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle was a wonderful experience. They were golfing heroes. 'I remember one particular round by Nagle on the New Course when he had five twos - he made a birdie at every par three, which was quite exceptional. It was also less formal back then. Some of the pros stayed at the clubhouse and spent quite a bit of time with the members. And there were more amateurs playing.' The Aussies may have come in 1959 - as they do to this day - but it was a 22-year-old Taiwanese player, Lu Liang-huan, who went down in the history books as the first winner. 'Mr Lu' then spent three years as the HKGC's resident professional (1962-64) before gaining worldwide fame with his runner-up finish to Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open. Lu returned to Fanling in 1974 to regain the Open crown. The swinging '60s were notable for one player - Aussie great Peter Thomson - who won three times at Fanling (1960, '65 and '67) to add to his five British Open titles. The 1970s were dominated by Taiwanese players, with Hsieh Yung-yo (1963-64) adding another two titles ('75 & '78). He still holds the record at four Opens. Greg Norman then used Hong Kong as a launch pad, winning in 1979 before going on to clinch two British Opens and dominate world golf. He returned to win again in 1983, but the tournament was ruined by the weather and only 36 holes could be played. Another landmark arrived in the 1980s when Welshman Ian Woosnam ('87) became the first European winner. In the early 1990s, the game's greats also came to town with major champions Bernhard Langer ('91) and Tom Watson ('92) winning. A decade later the tournament was taken to a new level with co-sanctioning by the European Tour - and marked by Jose Maria Olazabal's record 22-under-par victory. The Europeans have won every tournament since, including Padraig Harrington's victory in 2003. And 2005 saw a new era dawn when UBS began its title sponsorship that has seen prize money increase 400 per cent to US$2.5 million. 'The UBS Hong Kong Open is one of a select few world-class sports events held annually in Hong Kong and it has a history and heritage that other golf tournaments in the region cannot match,' says Hong Kong Golf Association chief executive Iain Valentine. Prestige, tradition and location - the Hong Kong Open has it all. Every pro wants to join Al Geiberger, Chip Beck, David Duval and Annika Sorenstam in this magic club: 59 Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal posts the lowest score in 2001, a sizzling: -22 The number of metres the Olympic equestrian cross-country course traversed across Fanling's three courses: 4,560 The legacy from the Olympic cross-country course is three bridges - and one jump: 4 Greg Norman wins a rain-affected 983 Open, in which only 36 holes could be completed: 1/2 The distance in yards of the seventh hole which has been renamed the 'Emirates A380 par 4' to celebrate the launch of its Airbus A380: 380 The record number of fans who flocked to Fanling last year: 32,000 The Hong Kong challenge, which includes amateurs Jason Hak Shun-yat, Steven Lam Tsz-fung and Roderick Staunton, numbers: 8 The number of birdies made last year: 1,484 A select group of players in the field have won majors and the HK Open: 9 Bring your Hong Kong ID card or passport to get free entry if you were born in: '59 Taiwanese Lo Shih-kai was barely a teenager when he played in 2002, and is still the youngest player to star in a European Tour event: 13 The distance in kilometres walked by the winner over the four days of action will be: 24.6 The last Asian winner of the championship was South Korea's Kang Wook-soon: 1998 The favourite at most bookies is Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, closely followed by two-time winner Miguel Angel Jimenez (19-1): 18-1 Ten years ago, drawcard John Daly admitted he lost big bucks in a weekend in a casino: US$3m The dreaded double bogey which cost Robert Karlsson the title on the 18th last year when he scored: 6 The temperature expected at Fanling this weekend, so bring your sun lotion: 25?C The Open became part of the European Tour schedule: 2002 In 2003, Sweden's Fredrik Jacobsen hit the lowest ever aggregrate score: 260
