UBS made right decision to come back, says head of sponsorship
Bjorn Waespe says stakeholders are keen to see the tournament rise to another level
The sun shone, the crowds milled around fairways and greens and not even the mid-tournament loss of star attraction Dustin Johnson could dilute the enthusiasm of returning sponsors as they look forward to more years of prosperity for the UBS Hong Kong Open.
Bjorn Waespe, managing director of UBS brand activation, sponsorship and events, said the success of this year’s tournament justified the Swiss investment bank’s decision to return as title sponsor after a two-year hiatus.
“I was personally involved in this event since it started in 2005,” said Waespe. “ Thursday was already a great crowd, we got 10,000 people thanks to free admission and that continued for the entire week. We have seen that the tournament has really evolved.
The Hong Kong Golf Club have given us a home on the fairway to entertain people and the public. It’s clearly a couple of steps up and we are very proud to be part of it
“The Hong Kong Golf Club have given us a home on the fairway to entertain people and the public. It’s clearly a couple of steps up and we are very proud to be part of it.”
The US$2 million European Tour and Asian Tour tournament featured a strong line-up that included former US Open winner Justin Rose, American star Dustin Johnson, Padraig Harrington, four-time winner Miguel Angel Jimenez and a host of top Asian golfers such as India’s Anirban Lahiri and Thai Thongchai Jaidee.
UBS first came in as title sponsor in 2005 but left after 2012 and for two years the tournament hobbled along, using its reputation as the oldest professional sporting event in Hong Kong as crutches.
The decision of the government’s Mega Events Fund to provide HK$15 million in funding to the Hong Kong Open helped to spark its revival.