Asia’s Premier Amateur Golf Tournament Gains Prominence, Winner Will Receive Exemption to 2009 Australian Open
(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 Jack Nicklaus-designed World Cup Course will host Asia’s most significant amateur tournament, the Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship, January 13-16.
Ninety-six players from 18 countries around the world, including China, Australia, Japan, England and France, will vie for the coveted title and an exemption to the 2009 Australian Open. Co-sponsored by Mission Hills and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), recognized as the official amateur golf body in the Asia-Pacific region by the United States Golf Association and The R&A, the event is the first in China where players’ results count toward The R&A’s amateur rankings. These rankings establish priority for entry into other esteemed amateur golf tournaments, like the British Amateur and U.S. Amateur. Mission Hills is scheduled to host the event through 2015.
“We’re excited to host this important championship,” says Tenniel Chu, Executive Director, Mission Hills Golf Club. “It’s only been three years since Mission Hills and the APGC joined forces to give rise to the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship, and we are extremely proud of how far we have already come with this tournament. The strong field, from an eclectic collection of countries on three continents, exemplifies the ever-increasing popularity of golf and the crucial place Asia and China now hold on the global amateur circuit.”
Opened in 1994 and designed by 18-time major championship winner Jack Nicklaus, the World Cup Course was the first of Mission Hills’ 12 courses. It has hosted numerous international competitions, including the 1995 World Cup (won by the U.S. team of Fred Couples and Davis Love III), the 2001 Tiger Woods China Challenge, organized in honor of Woods’ first visit to China, and the 2003 and 2005 editions of the Dynasty Cup, a Ryder Cup-style competition between teams from Asia and Japan.
“The stature of the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship continues to grow in lock-step with golf’s booming popularity around the world,” says Chu. “We anticipate a fantastic tournament and foresee even greater import and exposure for the championship in the coming years.”
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 with a professional tennis academy, 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. In 2007, Mission Hills began its role as host of 12 editions of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.
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 (2006, 2007, 2008)
* Best Golf Resort Hotel and Best Spa Resort — Business Traveler (2008)
* Pete Dye Course named the “Best New Course in Asia” — Asian Golf Monthly (2007)
* Olazabal Course ranked the No. 1 resort course in Asia — Golfing Magazine (2008)
* World Cup Course named one of the 10 “most significant and influential courses” of last 20 years — LINKS Magazine (2008)
* 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)
* Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills Golf Club, named “Golf Entrepreneur of the Year” — Asian Golf Monthly (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
