October 3, 2008 – Celebrations for the 50th edition of the UBS Hong Kong Open began in style with a glamorous launch party at one of Hong Kong’s top nightspots on Thursday (October 2).

More than 350 guests – including China’s top golfer, Liang Wenchong – attended the cocktail gathering at Watermark Restaurant and Bar in Central.

Timothy Fok, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and Kathryn Shih, Head of UBS Wealth Management Asia-Pacific and member of the Group Managing Board, banged a ceremonial gong to mark the start of the 50-day countdown to the tournament.

Other VIP guests included Herman Hu, Chairman of Hong Kong’s Major Sports Event Committee, and top Hong Kong racing drivers Darryl O’Young and Matthew Marsh.

The party was attended by executives from tournament title sponsor UBS and other sponsors including Emirates Airline, PCCW, Rolex, Hugo Boss, AIA, Heineken and Jebsen Fine Wines.

Guests also included officials from the Hong Kong Golf Club, which has staged the tournament every year since it was first held in 1959, and the Hong Kong Golf Association.

The UBS Hong Kong Open is the oldest professional sports event in Hong Kong and is considered the “jewel in the crown” of Asian golf with a history and heritage that no other tournament in the region can match.

It is one of only two tournaments of significance – the other being the Masters at Augusta National in the USA – to have been held at the same venue for 50 years or more.