The 2nd Annual Jolly Fox International Was Intense To The End

The 2nd Annual Jolly Fox International saw some intense competition before the winning team emerged victorious.

At the Jolly Fox international Gala Dinner on 9 August the champions Sean Liao from Taiwan and Vivian Yang from China were recognized, the accolades all the more meaningful because it was a photo finish.

During the final round the winning team found itself within one hole of their competitors, the team of Masato/Ronnie representing Japan and Singapore, on the back nine.

“They were playing so extremely well, we were so worried,” said Liao of Masato/Ronnie.

Liao recalls all of their competitors playing aggressively, with Ronnie of Singapore making a shot from around 200m away in the woods which landed right on the green, underscoring for him and his teammate Yang the need for them to remain focused.

For Liao, who at the age of 16 was the youngest golfer on the green, this was the second year participating in The Jolly Fox International and he “of course” plans on returning in 2024.

As is customary with The Jolly Fox golf tourneys, Liao was paired with a person he had never played with before, his teammate Vivian Yang.

This, said Liao, came with some challenges as when playing with a stranger there is a lack of knowledge about style and what your partner’s talents and liabilities are, let alone if she or he is open to constructive criticism.

“A lot comes down to understanding your partner and having that communication, teamwork and trust. It is what makes Jolly unique and extremely fun,” said Liao.

Over the course of the tourney, Liao and Yang eventually settled into a pattern of him studying her shots and guiding her before she swung with her considerable force.

This led to their closest competition of Masato/Ronnie dubbing Yang “The Homing Missile” and the pair of them working together, the “Lethal Weapon.”

Another fun element of the tourney is the swag, much of which is sponsored by Callaway.

Of the swag Liao received, he particularly appreciated the golf bag with his name emblazoned on it and has already sported it on a Taiwan golf course.

The Jolly Fox began during the Covid era, in the green season of 2020, when Niseko golfer Michael Chen, Co-CEO of the H2 Group, thought a community golf tournament would be the perfect, safe way to have social interaction.

For the Jolly Fox Invitational tourney, which began the Jolly Fox tradition, two-person teams are made up of a fox (a low handicapper) and a mouse (a high handicapper). The unique random handicap pairing system means teams cannot rely solely on the skills of one golfer.

This year was the second annual The Jolly Fox International, which also follows the fox/mouse format, engaging players from around the world.

Putting mini-competitions with prizes are embedded along the way, like a JPY5 million hole-in-one contest, which in this year’s The Jolly Fox International, Scott Jalowayski, who flew in from Singapore, came within a foot of being the first ever to win.

Still ongoing for 2023 is the Jolly Fox Niseko Masters, which will conclude on 7 October at a season-ending BBQ dinner, at which the winner will be awarded the coveted Orange Jacket and have their name immortalised on the Champions Trophy.

For more details go to The Jolly Fox website, and follow along with the action, outfits and antics on The Jolly Fox’s Facebook and Instagram channels.

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