Hong Kong Open: 17 years after unforgettable round with Spanish great, the dream still burns for Steven Lam
- Hongkonger, now 25, was in awe of Jose Maria Olazabal as a nine-year-old
- Never forgot lessons the Spaniard taught him at 2001 pro-am
As Steven Lam Tsz-fung prepares to line up alongside 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia in the Honma Hong Kong Open, he is quick to recall an encounter with another star Spaniard that shaped his career.
Lam was only nine years old when he played with Jose Maria Olazabal in the pro-am of the 2001 Hong Kong Open and says what he saw that day left an indelible mark on him.
“I saw some of the best short game I have ever seen that day,” the now 25-year-old said. “It was the year he won the tournament and ever since that day I practised so hard on my short game and I was one of the best short game players in junior golf.
“He inspired me to practise on the short game around the green, especially bunker shots.”
One of Hong Kong’s brightest prospects as a youngster, Lam’s golf career perhaps hasn’t taken the exact path he may have liked, but as he prepares to play in his fifth Hong Kong Open he seems more than happy with his lot in life.