China Pro Golf Tour debuts in 2014

A partnership between the China Golf Association, PGA Tour and event promoter China Olympic Sports Industry (COSI) has established a new professional golf tour in China that will begin play in 2014

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November 4, 2013. A partnership between the China Golf Association, PGA Tour and event promoter China Olympic Sports Industry (COSI) has established a new professional golf tour in China that will begin play in 2014 with 12 tournaments throughout the country.

 

The creation of PGA Tour China was announced on Sunday by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem; Zhang Xiaoning, Vice President and Secretary General of the CGA; and Sun Liping, President of COSI, at Sheshan International Golf Club, site of this week’s World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions.

 

PGA TOUR China, which also will be open to professionals outside of China, will move geographically throughout the country. Fields are expected to be between 120 and 156 players and purses will be in the $200,000 range per tournament. Plans are to increase the number of events after the first year.

 

“We are very pleased to announce the establishment of PGA Tour China, which builds upon our longstanding relationship with the China Golf Association,” Finchem said. “As with the structure of NEC Series-PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour China will provide open competition on a quality tour for elite players from China and other countries and the opportunity to advance to the world stage. Also similar to those two Tours, we plan to provide access to the Web.com Tour for the season’s top players.”

 

The initial schedule and further details, such as specifics on Web.com Tour qualifying, will be announced at a later date. Open qualifying tournaments are planned for the beginning of the year with the first tournaments scheduled for March.

 

“We have seen great advancement of Chinese elite golfer development in the last few years, and the creation of this Tour is the next positive step forward for this sport in China,” Zhang said. “

 

The PGA Tour has an established collaborative relationship with the CGA that has seen the Tour working actively with the Men and Women’s Chinese national golf teams to support their training, including multiple visits to the TPC Sawgrass facility to receive instruction.

 

 

 

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