The Volvo China Open aims to more than double prize money in the next two years. China’s premier golf championship returns in September this year to Shanghai Silport G.C. already having boosted prize money by 25%.

Players will now compete for a total purse of US$500,000 with the winner receiving a cheque for US$90,000.

‘This year may be a big increase, but we’re aiming for much bigger increases in prize money over the next two years’ said Mel Pyatt, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Event Management. ‘China is moving forward fast in the world and so must their top professional golf championship.’

Alistair Polson, Executive Director of the tournament added, ‘I will be disappointed if we don’t see at least a US$1 million event in the next two years’. Polson’s confident prediction comes in the wake of China’s WTO entry and the successful bid for the 2008 Olympics, ‘We’re getting much more interest from multinationals and already this year we’re being joined by Unisys and Xerox.’

This will be the fourth consecutive year that the championship will be played at Shanghai Silport, voted ‘Host Venue Of The Year’ last year by the players on the Asian PGA Tour. Korean Charle Wi’s 16 under par triumph over Silport’s fast and subtly contoured greens, last October, was the first time a player had broken 70 in all four rounds.

In the seven year history of the championship only one Chinese player has won. In 1997, amid emotional scenes, the smooth swinging Chen Jun won by 5 shots at Beijing International.

Zhang Lian Wei, China’s globetrotting leading player, had a third place finish in the inaugural 1995 event but, with the exception of a fourth place in 2000, has struggled to find his form at the right time. Now, as a regular on the Japan Golf Tour, it’s expected that his game will be sharper and he should be a leading contender for the title in September.

For further information please contact:
Wu Rong (86) 10 6773 2206
Mei Wong (852) 2525 9328
Visit our website address www.golfchina.com