LIV Golf delivers hole in one for Hong Kong
- With some 25,000 attending and economic gains of as much as HK$300 million, the three-day tournament lifts Hong Kong into the spotlight
- String of events to follow with “Arts March” cultural activities slated for rest of month
Hong Kong scored big with the LIV Golf tournament, which rounded off a successful weekend on Sunday.
Aptly staged under the “mega event” brand, the government-funded spectacle has lifted both the city’s economy and its international profile. With the right strategy and support, such events may prove invaluable.
The city’s richest sporting event attracted attention from all over the world, and not just because of the big names at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.
Combining sport and entertainment, which included live music, the event also drew fans from far and wide and was broadcast to 110 countries and territories. Some 25,000 people passed through the gates over the three days, and the economic gains are estimated to have reached as much as HK$300 million.
The city is, of course, no stranger when it comes to hosting international golf competitions.
It won praise for its first LIV tournament, with British golfer Paul Casey saying Hongkongers “should be very proud of themselves” when compared with the 2023 event in Adelaide, which is considered the benchmark.
Spectators also went home impressed by both the standard of play and atmosphere, despite the cold and rain.
Notwithstanding the image golf sometimes has as an exclusive sport with narrow public appeal, the club said the tournament had placed a spotlight on the city in a way that few sports could.
Be that as it may, the use of taxpayers’ money as subsidies means there needs to be concrete economic and social results.
Officials, having injected HK$16 million into the tournament, must have heaved a sigh of relief when it managed to steer clear of controversy unlike previous mega events.
Its success was also seen by some as evidence that Hong Kong is far from “over”, a reference to a debate over recent economic and political developments.
Hong Kong is aiming for greater success with more attractions this month such as Art Basel and the International Cultural Summit.
There is also ComplexCon, a pop culture festival combining street style, fashion, food, art and music, which promises to add more colour to the so-called Art March experience. This will, hopefully, further strengthen our credentials as an events capital in the region.
