Reports from the regional qualifiers
UK
On 12th June 2019, golfers representing John Swire & Sons, Swire Oilfield Services, Finlays, Swire Bulk and Cathay Pacific met for the UK Scott Cup qualifier at the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club. It was lucky that the rain held off for most of the rounds during the wet summer season, especially since a deluge in the afternoon stopped further play. The course played well and remained a tough challenge. The winner was Graham Hall, the win being all the more impressive given this was Graham's first visit to the course. It also meant that Finlays retained the trophy. Prizes were also awarded for big hitting Alan Robson (Swire Oilfield Services) for Longest Drive and accurate Paul Smith (Cathay Pacific) for Nearest the Pin.
Mainland China
The Swire Mainland China Scott Cup qualifier was held at Mission Hills Golf Club Haikou in Hainan Province on 29th November 2019. A total of 20 players took part in the competition. The event started at 1pm, after a warm-up round, and finished at 6pm. O'Neal Qin, Cathay Pacific's Area Manager Shanghai & Jiangsu was announced the winner.
Japan
The Japan Scott Cup qualifier was held on 27th May 2019 at Taiheiyo Club, Narita Course. Twenty-eight players participated this year and the winner was Seigo Eshima, Duty Airport Operations Manager, from Fukuoka.
Southeast Asia
The Southeast Asian Scott Cup was held at Sentosa Golf Club on 8th November 2019. This year the weather was not so kind and the play was suspended by a lightning warning. Fortunately, play resumed after an hour and in the end everyone managed to complete their round. This year the top prizes were dominated by China Navigation's Swire Bulk division picking up both Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive and Paolo da Silva winning the trophy with a respectable score of 37 Stableford points. There was a good battle for the Wooden Spoon with Florent Kirchhoff finally claiming the prize.
Taiwan
Scott Cup Taiwan 2019 took place on 24th October at Sunrise Golf Country Club in Taoyuan County. The weather was sunny and a total of four teams – 13 players – took part, representing Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and Taikoo Motors. This year's champion was Johnny Yang from Cathay Pacific. Several prizes were also given away for Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive. Derrick Chan, Swire Pacific's Director Trading & Industrial, thanked all the players for their participation and support for this meaningful annual event.
North America
The North American Scott Cup was held on 11th October 2019 at the English Turn Golf and Country Club in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event was hosted by Swire Oilfield Services and 31 golfers from Swire Coca-Cola, China Navigation, United States Cold Storage, Swire Oilfield Services, Swire Properties, Finlays and Cathay Pacific participated. The Sportsmanship award was given to Fernando Dragonne of Cathay Pacific. The Low Gross Award for a gross score of 74 and a Stableford score of 37 went to Rusty Frain of Swire Coca-Cola. The second-place award with a 38 Stableford Score and a gross score of 74 went to Todd Andrews, also of Swire Coca-Cola. The first-place winner of the tournament was Swire Oilfield Services' very own Tré Aucoin with a Stableford Score of 43 and a gross score of 81.
Kenya
The Scott Cup qualifier was held on 9th November at Kericho Golf Club, in the Rift Valley Province in western Kenya. There were 66 participants, who played in typically fine Kericho weather. The tournament was open to Finlays staff and Kericho Club golfers.
Job Kaibei emerged as the winner with 34 points, playing off a handicap of 15. Chris Birgen was runner-up with 33 points, while Sammy Kirui and Eunice Korir took third and fourth positions respectively.
