Hong Kong: As part of the UBS Hong Kong Open community outreach programme, more than 150 schoolchildren participated in an introductory golf clinic led by English Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter and Chinese rising star Dou Zecheng.

Aged between eight and 11, the representatives from four schools in the New Territories were invited by the Hong Kong Golf Association to the Tuen Mun Golf Centre.

Samuel Lam, 10, said: “I really enjoyed the clinic. I had not tried golf before, and I found it a lot harder than I thought it was going to be as the clubs were really heavy. It was fun though and I got to meet a few professional golfers. I usually play badminton but after today, I definitely want to try golf again.”

Poulter added: “Great clinic! It is very exciting for me, too, because I was once that age and to see so many kids here, it is amazing. Golf is a great game and it teaches you an awful lot, life lessons, honesty, integrity.”

In addition to the workshop in Tuen Mun, there will be hosted visits to this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open for schools from the after-school programme of the Hong Kong Golf Club, a Golf Course Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

Meanwhile, some of the star players this week will support golf clinics for the Hong Kong Special Olympics Golf team and the Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation.

Title sponsor UBS is once again making outreach the centerpiece of its sponsorship, with over 100 students from three local schools to be hosted on the first two days of the championship. The schools are all affiliated with the UBS supported Hong Kong Council of Early Childhood Education Services (CECES) programme.

A total of 5,000 tickets to the Open have been distributed to over 30 community groups covering non-governmental organisations, ethnic minority groups, and health and wellness and youth related charities.

The 2016 UBS Hong Kong Open community outreach programme aligns with its objective to grow the game of golf in the broader community with the support of the Mega Events Fund.