China Golf, 中国高尔夫

Zurich Financial Services Group has signed up as one of five exclusive partners of the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship, scheduled to be held at the Mission Hills Golf Club’s World Cup Course in Shenzhen, China, from October 29 to November 1.

Zurich chose a propitious moment for its decision to co-sponsor the event. It comes on the heels of Korean golfer Y.E. Yang’s victory over Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship tournament last weekend. Yang became the first Asian golfer to win one of the four “majors.” His success highlights the increasingly international nature of the ancient game, and, as a result, makes sponsoring tournaments a more attractive proposition for international companies like Zurich.

The Group’s bulletin explained that the “event is a joint initiative by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A [Royal and Ancient St Andrews - the Scottish home of golf] and will feature a field of up to 120 top amateur golfers from golf associations across the Asia-Pacific region.

“An invitation to play in the 2010 Masters Tournament awaits the winner, while both the winner and the runner-up will gain a place in International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship being played next year at St Andrews, Scotland.”

Geoff Riddell, Zurich’s Chairman of Global Corporate & CEO of Asia Pacific & Middle East, expressed his support for “such an exciting event.” He indicated that it would give Asia-Pacific amateur golfers a “chance to compete in two of the most important and famous golfing events in the world.” He also described the tournament as a “unique platform for the amateur game in a region where golf’s popularity is increasing significantly.”

Riddell added: “Zurich is already a proud sponsor of golf tournaments in Switzerland, the US and around the world and sees golf as a perfect metaphor for Zurich’s customer focused brand positioning ‘deliver when it matters’.”

Source: Zurich Financial Services – www.zurich.com

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The 2009 Men’s Asia Amateur Golf Championship qualifier is set for Aug. 15 and 16 at LeoPalace Golf Resort. The top two finishers at the qualifier have a shot at representing Guam at the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship at Mission Hills Golf Club in China’s Guangdong province.

Royal and Ancient of St. Andrews — the governing body for golf in Asia, Europe and other parts of the world — will pay for all expenses for the players in the tournament, including airfare, hotel, food and other expenses, according to Guam National Golf Federation president George Benoit.

Golfers who want to participate must have a handicap index of 5.4 or less, Benoit added.

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Mission Hills

Shenzhen is home to hundreds of factories, one of China’s two mainland stock exchanges, a theme park called Window on the World that features more than 100 miniature versions of monuments like the Taj Mahal, a Soviet aircraft carrier, and, of course, the world’s largest golf resort: Mission Hills.

But this has not stopped the Mission Hills team from achieving another world record.

Last month, they opened the world’s largest practice putting green, a beautiful 17-acre spread of 18 rolling greens and tiny sand bunkers.

Already, the resort boasts 12 world-class golf courses designed by some of the most famous names in the game – Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, and Nick Faldo – and hosts major world tournaments.

Mission Hills is a curious mix of extreme luxury and developing world. It has three spas, 3,000 caddies (all of them women – to seem less intimidating to novice golfers – and all wearing red jumpsuits and plastic helmets). Some 2,000 rounds of golf are played here each day.

The resort abuts the city’s industrial outskirts, and to drive from one end of the resort to the other requires passing a vacuum sealing plant, an electronics factory, and acre upon acre of actively tilled peasant farmland.

Even the staff works to keep up.

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Jeev Mikha

NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh’s world ranking of 42 has earned India a rare direct entry into the Mission Hills World Cup to be played at Mission Hills Golf Club in China on Nov 26-29.

The field is selected through each nation’s leading player on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of June 22.

Jyoti Randhawa, who played with Jeev last year in the same event, is likely to be his partner once again. Currently Randhawa at 154th is the next best Indian and Arjun Atwal is ranked 296th.

The leading player may select any player of his choice from the same country provided such player was ranked within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of either June 22, 2009, or August 17, 2009.

If there was no other available player from that country within the top 100 on the OWGR on either of the dates, the exempt player’s partner shall be the next highest ranked available player from the same country outside of the top 100 as of August 17.

Besides India, 17 exempt nations have now been confirmed for the 2009 World Cup.

The final field of 28 nations will be completed following three qualifying tournaments to be played in Asia (Kuala Lumpur), Europe (Estonia) and South America (Venezuela), with three countries going through from each regional qualifier to join the 18 exempt nations and hosts, China, at Mission Hills.

Jeev likely to have Jyoti as partner for World Cup

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Sergio Garcia

Edited by Fanja

BEIJING (Reuters) – World number five Sergio Garcia will represent Spain for the fourth time in the $5.5 million World Cup of Golf in Shenzhen, China later this year, organizers said on Thursday. The 29-year-old, who won the HSBC Champions in China last November to briefly take over the world number two spot, will select his own team mate to take on 27 other nations at the Mission Hills club from November 26 to 29.

“There are always a lot of good teams at the World Cup. I think that the Swedish team, the defending champions, will be very good,” the five-times Ryder Cup player said in a statement.

“The Americans always seem to bring a good solid team into the tournament. Australia, of course, is going to have a good one coming in. One of the Asian teams could be solid.”

Swede Henrik Stenson, the world number seven, has confirmed he will defend the title but he may have to choose a new partner as 2008 European number one Robert Karlsson might need to take the rest of the year off because of an eye problem.

The hopes of a first American win since Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara’s victory in 2000 will rest on the shoulders of world number 34 Nick Watney and whoever he selects as his team mate.

One of the most exciting young talents in the game, Rory McIlroy, will play in the united Ireland team for the first time and has chosen fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell as his partner.

World number 19 Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher return to southern China to represent England again after finishing sixth last year, while Martin Kaymer will be back flying the German flag.

Nineteen countries, including hosts China, have already secured their places in Shenzhen with nine more spots up for grabs at regional qualifiers.

The resplendent Mission Hills, which will host the World Cup for at least another decade, has 12 courses but the tournament will again be played on the championship layout designed by Garcia’s compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal.

“The next time I see Jose Maria I’ll probably ask him about the course,” said Garcia, who played at the World Cup alongside Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2001, 2004 and 2005.

“I’ve seen a little bit of it on TV and I’ve heard good things about it … I’m just hoping that my partner and I can do well and bring the victory to Spanish soil.”

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Garcia to represent Spain at World Cup in China
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