MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que hope to buck late tee-times in quest of a pair of strong starts as they slug it out with the best of the Asian Tour and two of the world's top-ranked players in the rich Hong Kong Open unfolding Thursday at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.
World No. 16 Tony Finau, member of the US winning team in the recent President’s Cup in Australia, banners the stellar cast in the $1 million kickoff leg of the region’s premier circuit that drew 30 Asian Tour champions, including India’s Shiv Kapur, Scott Hend of Australia and Thai Jazz Janewattananond — who racked up four victories and won the 2019 Order of Merit title — and British Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland.
Tabuena, out to atone for a mediocre 2019 campaign marred by injuries, drew Korean-American Micah Shin and local amateur Terence Ng at 12 noon on No. 1 while Que, priming up for his Japan PGA Tour stint, launches his drive at the back with multi-titled Jeev Milkha Singh of India and Jarin Todd of the US at 12:10 p.m.
But focus will be on the likes of Finau, the highest ranked player in the fold and one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, and Lowry, whose Open romp propelled him to No. 17 in the world ranking.
Finau will slug it out with Italian Andrea Pavan and Hend at 11:30 a.m. on No. 1 while Lowry forged an interesting duel with Janewattananond and young Korean Kim Joo Hyung, the youngest winner of The Country Club Invitational at 16, at 7:30 a.m. at the backside of the tight layout.