Discusses Past World Cup Experiences, China’s Emerging Role in Global Golf
(SHENZHEN, China) – Greg Norman, winner of more than 90 tournaments worldwide, recently visited 12-course Mission Hills Golf Club and shared his thoughts on the World Cup and golf’s bright future in China.
Norman – a two-time Open Champion and Captain of the International squad for the 2009 Presidents Cup – competed in the 1976 and 1978 World Cups.
“I remember one of my goals in 1976 was to be the youngest, I believe, and the quickest player to make the Australian World Cup team,” says Norman. “I turned professional in October of 1976 and won a tournament that month and the World Cup team was chosen in November to go to Palm Springs in the United States. It was a goal of mine right from the get-go to represent my country.”
He continues: “No matter where you go and play as an individual in a tournament you do represent your country. But to actually carry your flag for your country with a partner in the World Cup is an extremely high prize in my mind.”
The Omega Mission Hills World Cup will be played for the third straight year on the club’s renowned Olazabal Course, November 26-29. Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy and Y.E. Yang are among the stars scheduled to participate in the event’s 55th edition. Featuring 28 two-man teams from nations around the globe, the World Cup is golf’s closest approximation to the Olympic Games.
Last year, the Swedish team of Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson shot a sterling 63 in Sunday’s alternate shot format to claim a three-stroke victory over Spain.
“We anticipate yet another memorable World Cup,” says Tenniel Chu, Executive Director, Mission Hills Golf Club. “With golf’s rapidly expanding global profile, we’re proud to host an event with such deep international roots.”
Mission Hills’ sponsorship of the World Cup is just one of the many initiatives it champions to grow golf in China. It is the only club in the world to sponsor a complete series of tournaments to test gifted players at every level of competition. The club’s involvement with premier junior tournaments, like the Faldo Series Asia and Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship, and the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship, shows how serious it is about developing the first generation of top-notch golf talent from the Middle Kingdom.
“I have been coming here for a short period of time in my business career, but for me to see the development of golf in China has been phenomenal,” adds Norman.
“I think it is great that from a global aspect China is at the forefront; they are leaders of the pack in the growth and development of the game,” he states. “I think it will stay that way for many, many years to come.”
About the Omega Mission Hills World Cup
The 2009 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 tournament in 1953 as a way to promote goodwill among nations through golf. Initially named the Canada Cup, it became the World Cup in 1967. The 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup will offer a purse of $5.5 million. 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 two years as host, Mission Hills’ Olazabal Course has been 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.
For more information, please visit http://worldcup.pgatour.com/.
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. In 2007, Mission Hills began its role as long-term host of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup. The club will also host multiple editions of the Asian Amateur Championship, including the inaugural event October 29 to November 1, 2009.
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).
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Stephen Reynolds
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