Shanghai, November 23: The Volvo China Open, celebrating its 10th anniversary this week, will be showcased across China over the next four years with a commitment from the title sponsor, Volvo to increase the prize fund significantly.

Volvo Event Management President and Chief Executive Officer Mel Pyatt said today they have agreed to raise the total prize money from US$1 million to US$1.3 million when the Volvo China Open cruises to Shenzhen Golf Club for the first time next year.

Subsequently, the prestigious championship, jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour, will head to China’s capital of Beijing in 2006 and will be played at the Nick Faldo-designed Beijing Hong Hua Golf Club.

Shanghai Silport Golf Club, hosting the event for the sixth straight year this week and a club that Pyatt termed as the Volvo China Open’s ‘spiritual home’, will stage the championship in 2007. The highly-rated Beijing CBD International Golf Club has signed an agreement to host the championship in 2008, the year when Beijing hosts the Olympic Games.

‘This week is a big step for the Volvo China Open with US$1 million in prize money, being the opening event of the 2005 European Tour Schedule and jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour,’ said Pyatt.

‘The Volvo China Open has come of age and after consulting our partners, the China Golf Association, we have agreed that this great championship needs to start moving to different parts of the country from next year to further promote and develop the game of golf. Volvo were the first sponsors of golf in this country and we want to continue taking the game to the people of China, in hope of creating more great champions in the mould of Zhang Lian-wei.’

The decision to move to Shenzhen Golf Club, located in southern China and set to celebrate its 20 anniversary in 2005, will be a homecoming for Volvo.

As the first international brand to sponsor professional golf in China in 1995, their first foray into the Middle Kingdom was the Volvo Open at Shenzhen Golf Club. The 27-hole course, originally designed by Japanese legend Isao Aoki in 1986, was recently revamped by renowned architects Nelson & Hawoth.

Next year’s Volvo China Open will be played in the third week of November, 2005 while the dates for the following three editions will be finalised soon.

The announcement will also be welcomed by China’s trailblazer Zhang Liang-wei, who will defend his Volvo China Open crown this week. The Shenzhen Golf Club is his home course and was the venue of his maiden professional victory in that historic first event in 1995.

Pyatt explained the move to Beijing was significant as the inaugural Volvo China Open in 1995 was staged in the capital city. ‘Ten years ago, we believed in the future of Chinese golf and committed to the Volvo China Open in Beijing when nobody else had that belief. We have committed millions of dollars to golf in China and believe that golf in this country is what it is today due to our endeavours.

‘We are looking forward to going to Beijing Hong Hua in 2006 which is a splendid facility and then to Beijing CBD International in 2008, which will coincide with the Olympic Games in Beijing. Shanghai Silport has been a fantastic partner for Volvo over the last six years and we will return to Shanghai in three years time.

‘It is our commitment to stay firmly on the road with the Volvo China Open and this is clearly reflected by our agreements on the host venues right through to 2008,’ said Pyatt.

Hu Juan-guo, Director of the Multi-Ball Games Administrative Center of the State Sport, praised the decision to move the Volvo China Open across the country, saying it will further develop the sport as China seeks to produce its first Major champion.

‘Golf is growing rapidly in China and I would like thank Volvo for its support and vision towards the Volvo China Open. Players like Zhang Lian-wei and Liang Wen-chong have benefited immensely by playing in this fine championship over the years and we are hopeful that China will soon produce more champions capable of winning future Volvo China Opens and also Major championships,’ said Hu.

For more details contact:

David S.W. Lim
Marketing Director
Asian Tour
T: +65 6318 4944
F: +65 6318 4946
M: +65 9822 3346
E: david.lim@asiantour.com
W: www.asiantour.com