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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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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The 2009 China Female Professional Golf Tour has been held recently in Shanghai with fierce competition. Teenager players including Minting Shi, Jiaxin Yong, Xiyu Lin, Yu Liu, Xin Wong catch most of the attention from the media.

In the qualifying tournament on Monday, the 14-year-old Xin Wong and 11-year-old Minting Shi entered the elite tournament as No.1 and 2. Minting Shi participated the tournament with the recommendation from China Golf Association. She entered the final with a ranking of 45 which gained her a name of “child prodigy” given by the media. Even the champion of the tour station Shanghai, Ping Huang, admired her skills, saying “her putter is very precise.”

The three little pretty girls, Jiaxin Yong, Yu Liu, Xiyu Lin, have been the heated topic in the competition. Jiaxin Yong and Yu Liu had experience in Oriental Female Tour; they straightly entered the elite tournament. Xiyu Lin’s achievement also surprised the audience. Finally, Jiaxin Yong won the Award of Best Amateur Player with a ranking of 12. Yu Liu ranked 29 with a steady performance. It is reported that Jiaxin Yong and Xiyu Lin will attend the France Evian Teenager Masters Golf Cup on July 18th and 19th. This elite tournament played the role of warming up for them before France.

These teenager players are not to be ignored, for their marvelous achievements and adept skills. However, being young and short results in serving balls in a short distance. The 6399 yard in Shanghai Oriental Field is still too long for these young players. Critics say their lack of strength explains their disadvantages. Though these young competitors cannot match the adult professional players, their courage and perseverance make us believe that golf will have a bright future as a sport in China.

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