The Volvo China Open will launch The 2005 European Tour International Schedule from November 25-28, 2004, the first of three tournaments before the Christmas break.
Jointly sanctioned for the first time by The European Tour and the Asian Tour, the Volvo China Open will make its first appearance on The European Tour International Schedule when Shanghai Silport Golf Club hosts the US$1,000,000 tournament.
The following week, The European Tour heads for The Hong Kong Golf Club for the Omega Hong Kong Open from December 2-5, the tournament taking its place on The European Tour International Schedule for a fourth successive season. A prize fund of US$800,000 will be on offer, a significant increase on the previous year’s figure.
The spectacular Leopard Creek Golf Course in Mpumalanga, South Africa, will host the dunhill championship for the third leg of The 2005 European Tour International Schedule from December 9-12 in what will be the last official tournament before the Christmas break.
The European Tour will then resume in South Africa when the South African Airways Open, the second oldest National Open in world golf, takes place at Durban Country Club from January 20-23. Both South African events will carry a prize fund of £500,000.
The full 2005 European Tour International Schedule will be announced at a later date.
The Volvo China Open, which has been contracted through to the end of 2007, will be The European Tour’s second visit to mainland China and further emphasises Volvo’s increasing investment in the Asian market. The first Volvo China Open was staged at Beijing International Golf Club in 1995 while last year’s champion was Liang Wei-Zhang, China’s Number One golfer and a Member of both The European Tour and the Asian Tour.
The Omega Hong Kong Open is the longest running sporting event in Hong Kong, dating back to 1959, and over the past 46 years some of the great names in golf have won the title including seven Majors Champions – Australians Greg Norman and Peter Thomson, Americans Orville Moody and Tom Watson, Germany’s Bernhard Langer, Spain’s José Maria Olazábal and Welshman Ian Woosnam. Last year’s winner was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
The dunhill championship, which has been based at Houghton Golf Club for nine of its ten appearances since joining The European Tour International Schedule in 1995, has provided innumerable thrilling moments in recent years, particularly in the closing moments. In 2004, for a second successive year, the title was decided in a play-off with Germany’s Marcel Siem holding off the French duo of Raphaël Jacquelin and Gregory Havret for his maiden European Tour title. The tournament has also been the springboard for other talented young players in recent years with Australian Adam Scott claiming the title for his winning breakthrough in 2001, England’s Justin Rose in 2002 and South Africa’s own Trevor Immelman in 2003.
After the Christmas break, the South African Airways Open, first played in 1893, will return to Durban Country Club for the 16th time. Immelman, winner of the last two editions at Erinvale Golf Club, will be attempting to join an elite group of South African golfers who have won the national Open on three or more occasions. The group includes Ernie Els, Bobby Locke and Gary Player.
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