Shane Lowry and Tony Finau commit to rearranged Hong Kong Open
Wednesday 18 December 2019 18:59, UK
Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry has been confirmed as the headline name to feature at the rearranged Hong Kong Open in January.
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The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in November, with Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson among the names set to feature, only to be cancelled due to civil unrest in the region.
Hong Kong Golf Club now hosts the tournament from January 9-12, without the co-sanctioning of the European Tour, with Lowry and Tony Finau the first two high-profile golfers to commit to playing.
"I'm really excited about going back to play the Hong Kong Open again," Lowry said. "I haven't played in Hong Kong for a few years now, so it's great to be going back.
"The Hong Kong Open will be my first event of 2020 and I'm hoping to use the tournament to kickstart what will be a very important year for me as I try to make the European Ryder Cup team next September and build on the success I enjoyed this year".
Lowry's appearance will come a week before he returns to defend his title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first of two victories for the Irishman in a memorable 2019.
120 players are set to compete in the event, with 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner 'Jazz' Janewattananond and Kiradech Aphibarnrat among the others confirmed to take part.
The Clara Jug - Shane Lowry
The first event of the year on the European Tour is the South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg, held on the same week, while the PGA Tour starts a week earlier at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
