Highly Acclaimed Layout Awaits Field Headlined by Nine Former Ryder Cup Participants
(SHENZHEN, China) – Mission Hills Golf Club – the world’s largest collection of premier golf courses with 12 layouts designed by many of the greatest golfers and golf course architects from five continents – announces its award-winning Olazabal Course is ready to host the 2008 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, held November 27-30.
The par-72, 7,251-yard course opened in 2003 and was designed by its namesake, the 1994 and 1999 Masters Champion, in collaboration with Schmidt-Curley Design. Sprinkled with nearly 160 bunkers, the layout features significant elevation changes as it weaves through lush, primordial jungle and offers several breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Media-bestowed accolades for the Olazabal Course include ranking as the No. 1 resort course in Asia by Golfing Magazine and the No. 2 golf course in China by Asian Golf Monthly.
The signature, 555-yard, par-5 15th is sure to play a significant role in deciding the tournament’s outcome. The right-to-left hole doglegs around a large lake and is framed by 24 bunkers. A solid drive in the fairway makes reaching in two a possibility, but caution is advised as the green sits on a peninsula jutting out into the water.
The 15th’s quintessential risk / reward properties will test a field of 28 two-man teams from every corner of the globe, including nine past Ryder Cup participants: Ben Curtis, Soren Hansen, Miguel-Angel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson. Also scheduled to compete are former PGA Tour winners Ryuji Imada, Rory Sabbatini and Brandt Snedecker.
“The stage is set for what promises to be an exciting week at Mission Hills,” says Tenniel Chu, Executive Director, Mission Hills Golf Club. “We’re eager to yet again host the world’s best players for golf’s closest approximation to the Olympic Games. Our association with the World Cup through 2018 bolsters our position as the nucleus of professional golf in China.”
The 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup ended in dramatic fashion when Scotland made birdie on the third sudden-death playoff hole to defeat the American team of Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum. The two-man teams for the 2008 edition are:
Australia (Richard Green, Brendan Jones), Canada (Wes Heffernan, Graham DeLaet), Chile (Felipe Aquilar, Mark Tullo), China (Liang Wen Chong, Zhang Lian Wei), Denmark (Soren Hansen, Anders Hansen), England (Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher), Finland (Mikko Korhonen, Roope Kakko), France (Gregory Havret, Gregory Bourdy), Germany (Martin Kaymer, Alex Cejka), Guatemala (Pablo Acuna, Alejandro Villavicencio), India (Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa), Ireland (Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley), Italy (Francesco Molinari, Edoardo Molinari), Japan (Ryuji Imada, Toru Taniguchi), Korea (Bae Sang-moon, Kim Hyung-tae), Mexico (Daniel De Leon, Oscar Serna), New Zealand (Mark Brown, David Smail), Philippines (Angelo Que and Mars Pucay), Portugal (Tiago Cruz, Ricardo Santos), Scotland (Alastair Forsyth, Colin Montgomerie), South Africa (Rory Sabbatini, Richard Sterne), Spain (Miguel Angel Jimenez, Pablo Larrazabal), Sweden (Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson), Taiwan (Lin Wen-Tang, Lu Wen-Teh), Thailand (Prayad Marksaeng, Thongchai Jaidee), United States (Ben Curtis, Brandt Snedecker), Venezuela (Miguel Martinez, Raul Sanz), Wales (Bradley Dredge, Richard Johnson).
About the Omega Mission Hills World Cup
The 2008 Omega Mission Hills World Cup continues a new and exciting era in the history of the event. John Jay Hopkins, a noted Canadian industrialist, founded the event in 1953 as a way to promote goodwill among nations through golf. Initially named the Canada Cup, it became the World Cup in 1967 and is scheduled to be played at Mission Hills Golf Club through 2018. The 2008 Omega Mission Hills World Cup will offer a purse of $5.5 million, an increase of $500,000 from 2007. It is a four-day team event featuring a four-ball (better-ball) format on days one and three, and a foursomes (alternate shot) format on days two and four.
In its first year as host, Mission Hills’ Olazabal Course was universally lauded by participants and media alike. Its namesake, the two-time Masters champion, collaborated with Schmidt-Curley Design to create a well-bunkered and dramatically contoured layout. Memorable holes abound, like the par-5 15th, featuring 24 bunkers, and the long par-4 18th finishing in the shadows of the massive Dongguan Clubhouse.
About Mission Hills Golf Club
Stretching across the lush, rolling hills of Shenzhen and Dongguan in southern China, Mission Hills is China’s highest rated golf club, and the largest golf club in the world according to the Guinness World Records. The property is home to 12 resort and championship courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Annika Sorenstam, Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh, David Leadbetter, David Duval, Jumbo Ozaki and Zhang Lian Wei.
Mission Hills is a full-service, luxury resort, featuring four clubhouses, three spas, a five-star hotel, three golf academies (including schools from world renowned instructors David Leadbetter and Cindy Reid), 51 tennis courts and numerous fine dining establishments serving cuisine from around the world. It has hosted more than 50 international tournaments, including the 1995 World Cup of Golf and the Tiger Woods China Challenge in 2001. The Olazabal Course will host the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through 2018.
Mission Hills’ recent awards and accolades include:
* IAGTO Golf Resort of the Year (Rest of World category)
* Best Golf Resort in China – Asian Golf Monthly (2007)
* Pete Dye Course named the “Best New Course in Asia” – Asian Golf Monthly (2007)
* Olazabal Course ranked the No. 2 course in China – Asian Golf Monthly (2007)
* Dr. David Chu, Chairman of Mission Hills Group, named one of the “Most Powerful People in Golf” – Golf Inc. (2007, 2008)
* Dr. Kenneth Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group, named one of golf’s “Most Admired Operators” – Golf Inc. (2008)
* World Cup Course named one of the 10 “most significant and influential courses” of last 20 years – LINKS Magazine (2008)
* Olazabal Course ranked the No. 1 resort course in Asia – Golfing Magazine (2008)
Getting There: Mission Hills Golf Club is a short drive north of Hong Kong International Airport, www.hongkongairport.com. Flights on most major airlines from most major cities are available into Hong Kong. From the airport, Mission Hills transports golfers in luxury shuttles across the border to the resort hotel.
For more information about Mission Hills Golf Club, visit www.missionhillsgroup.com, email info@missionhillsgroup.com, or call (852) 2122 1616 (Hong Kong) — (86 755) 2802 0888 (Shenzhen) — (86 769) 8728 8888 (Dongguan).
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381 (cell)
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo Communications
703.761.1444
sreynolds@billycaspergolf.com
