In 1958, Hong Kong Golf Club member Kim Hall wrote to Australian professional Eric Cremin to see if those players playing in the
Philippine Open in 1959 would consider staying in the region to play in Hong Kong. Hall then approached Peter Plumley, secretary of
South China Morning Post, who was also a golfer. Plumley then persuaded his boss to sponsor 1,000 Australian pounds in prize money in the name of
South China Morning Post. Then, the first Hong Kong Open was launched in February 1959. The first tournament was hosted by
Sir Robert Black, the then-Governor of Hong Kong. Around one thousand spectators joined the tournament. Taiwanese golfer
Lu Liang-Huan won the inaugural edition of the tournament. The success of the Hong Kong Open prompted first Singapore in 1961, and then Malaysia and Japan in 1962, to introduce their own tournaments and bring about the setting up of the
Far East Golf Circuit. In 1996, Hong Kong golfer
Dominique Boulet finished fourth, the best result by a local golfer. In 2008, Florida-based Hong Kong amateur
Shun Yat Hak became the youngest player ever to make the cut in a European Tour event, at 14 years and 304 days, eclipsing the record set by
Sergio García at the
Turespaña Open Mediterrania in 1995. At the other end of the age spectrum,
Miguel Ángel Jiménez became the oldest golfer ever to win on the European Tour when he won in 2012 at age , and extended his record by defending his title in 2013 at age . In 2013, organizers and potential sponsors raised concerns over the complex becoming enmeshed in a controversial redevelopment plan for
Fan Ling. The tournament was played that year without a title sponsor. In 2020, the Hong Kong Open organizers announced that the tournament would be postponed till 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In March 2023, it was confirmed that the Hong Kong Open would return after a two-year hiatus as an
Asian Tour event. The tournament would also gain
International Series status. ==Winners==