Huge crowds spent much of Saturday following Jon Rahm around Fanling as he climbed the leaderboard at LIV Golf Hong Kong – more evidence, if any were needed, that the tournament is fast establishing itself as an important part of the city’s social and sporting calendar.
And while attendance figures won’t be released until after the tournament, officials said large numbers have made the trip from mainland China and overseas, with many paying thousands of dollars for generous tickets.
They certainly got their money’s worth at the Hong Kong Golf Club, as Rahm’s five-under par 65 moved him to 17 under and into a three-way tie for the top spot with Harold Varner III and Thomas Detry.
Among those watching the action was tourism chief Peter Lam Kin-ngok, who was given special permission by Beijing to skip part of China’s annual “two sessions” to attend.
The chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, who is a member of the CPPCC Standing Committee and will return to the capital on Sunday, told reporters at a briefing that it had been “one of the city’s most important events”.
Between 40,000 and 50,000 people are expected to watch over the course of four days, Lam added, and that’s the number of high-profile visitors the city is keen to attract.
