Going into its 18th year and making a name for itself all over the world, the Volvo China Open follows in the footsteps of the oldest ‘Major,’ of them all, the British Open, by heading for the coast, to Binhai Lake, where a true test of links golf will set a stern examination for top golfers from home and abroad.
Back in its familiar date, two-weeks after the season’s first ‘Major,’ the Masters at Augusta, the 18th Volvo China Open breaks new ground as it heads to the north eastern city of Tianjin and the award-winning Binhai Lake Golf Club from 19th – 22nd April 2012.
Inaugurated in 1995 and part of the European Tour since 2004, the Volvo China Open is China’s most revered event, and, at 7,589-yards, Par-72, the Pete Dye-designed North Course looks certain to offer a stern test for the players who will line-up in search of one of global golf’s fastest-growing titles.
Once again, the prize fund for the Volvo China Open will be RMB20million (Approx. US$3.1million) with a first prize of RMB3.3million (Approx. US$500,000), whilst the ever-increasing quality of the field, attracted by an important national open championship and exemptions to the Volvo World Match Play Championship and Volvo Golf Champions for the winner should maintain the upward awarding of Official World Ranking Points.
“By taking the Volvo China Open to the north eastern port city of Tianjin, we are continuing our strategy of making the national open golf championship of China as accessible as possible to all parts of the country,” explained Per Ericsson, President, Volvo Event Management – Golf.
“Like the British Open and the US Open, to which the Volvo China Open aspires, we not only look to take the event around the country it represents, but also to the most challenging of golf courses, and the Binhai Lake Course is certainly that,” added Ericsson.
Meanwhile, Mr Xiao Tian, Vice Minister, the General Administration of Sports of China and Vice President of Chinese Olympic Committee, which hosted the launch of the Volvo China Junior Championship and the Volvo China Open in the Sports Ministry in Beijing commented, “We are delighted to see that recently, with the effort of all parties involved, that the standard of golf tournaments in China has been increasing significantly,” adding, “More and more good quality junior players has been growing up and a brand new cooperation between the professional and junior levels has been established with the help of Volvo and the sanctioning bodies.
“We believe that in the near future, we will see a young Chinese champion who has progressed through the Volvo China Junior Championship and the Volvo China Open, and onto the world stage,” he concluded.
Commenting on the choice of Binhai Lake Golf Club for the 2012 Volvo China Open, course designer Pete Dye said, “It’s always a thrill and an honour to have one of your designs selected for a major Tour event, and to have the Volvo China Open come to Binhai Lake is extra special.
“It is a tough golf course, and I’m sure it will be in fantastic condition, whilst I am especially pleased for Li Hao, the club chairman and the members there, as hosting the national open golf championship of China on their course just adds to the prestige,” concluded Dye.
Mr Li Hao, President, Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club, who has been instrumental in the development of the Volvo China Open having hosted the event previously at his Beijing CBD and Beijing Honghua golf clubs welcomed the decision to stage the 2012 event on another course in his portfolio.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to play a part of my country’s national open golf championship once again and for Pete Dye’s design to be tested by some of the best players in the world.”
He added, “Even since Beijing Honghua hosted the event back in 2006, the Volvo China Open has grown appreciably and it is great news for the city of Tianjin that the stars of world, Asian and Chinese golf will be on show at Binhai Lake.”
One man who will be delighted with the choice of the colossal course will be defending champion, Nicolas Colsaerts; the Belgian is one of the biggest hitters on the circuit and is already looking forward to doing what no man has achieved to date, namely, a successful defence of the Volvo China Open crown.
“It’s great news that the 2012 Volvo China Open is to be played at the longest course in the history of the event, and hopefully I can make my length off the tee work to my advantage,” said the 28-year-old from Brussels, adding, “I have enjoyed some good form since winning in Chengdu, including a third place in both the Volvo World Match Play Championship and the Barclays Scottish Open, two huge events. I know the scale of the challenge in China, a great field and a tough golf course, but it would be fantastic to make history by becoming the first player to retain his Volvo China Open title.”
As the countdown to the 18th Volvo China Open continues and players’ schedules for 2011 are confirmed, a series of world-class golfers seeking to add the increasingly prestigious Volvo China Open title to their roll of honour will be unveiled.
Meanwhile, the seventh annual Volvo China Junior Championship, seen as the breeding ground for future Volvo China Open champions and Chinese Olympic golfers is also moving to north-east China, to the Stone Bay Golf Club, Weihai, Shandong Province, from Sunday 2nd – Tuesday 4th October 2011.
The event, which features China’s most talented young male and female golfers, is Volvo’s 50th title sponsorship in golf in China, with the Senior Boy’s champion earning his place in the line-up for his national open, the Volvo China Open in Tianjin in April next year.
As the national open golf championship of China, the Volvo China Open is the flagship of the China Golf Association’s portfolio of events and Zhang Xiaoning, General Secretary and Vice President of the China Golf Association believes the event is making its mark after just 18 years and that the Volvo China Junior Championship is playing an important part in developing Chinese golf.
“As one of the most important golf events in the China Golf Association's Junior Development Programme, the Volvo China Junior Championship will deliver more excellent young golfers in China, which will keep the sustainability of the development of golf in China,” said Mr Zhang, adding, “With golf rejoining the Olympics in 2016, we hope that through the Volvo China Junior Championship and Volvo China Open, Chinese players will enjoy a good opportunity to compete against the top players from the world, meanwhile promoting the game of golf in China.”
Volvo Event Management – Golf
ARCE
405 08 Göteborg
Sweden
T: + 46 31 3234904
