Mission Hills Golf Club - the world's largest collection of golf courses with 12 layouts designed by many of the greatest golfers and golf course architects from five continents - announces its Jack Nicklaus-designed World Cup Course will host Asia's most significant amateur tournament, the Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship, Jan. 13-16.
Ninety-six players from 18 countries around the world, including China, Australia, Japan, England and France, will vie for the coveted title and an exemption to the 2009 Australian Open. Co-sponsored by Mission Hills and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), recognized as the official amateur golf body in the Asia-Pacific region by the United States Golf Association and The R&A, the event is the first in China where players' results count toward The R&A's amateur rankings. These rankings establish priority for entry into other esteemed amateur golf tournaments, like the British Amateur and U.S. Amateur. Mission Hills is scheduled to host the event through 2015.
"We're excited to host this important championship," says Tenniel Chu, Executive Director, Mission Hills Golf Club. "It's only been three years since Mission Hills and the APGC joined forces to give rise to the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship, and we are extremely proud of how far we have already come with this tournament. The strong field, from an eclectic collection of countries on three continents, exemplifies the ever-increasing popularity of golf and the crucial place Asia and China now hold on the global amateur circuit."
Opened in 1994 and designed by 18-time major championship winner Jack Nicklaus, the World Cup Course was the first of Mission Hills' 12 courses. It has hosted numerous international competitions, including the 1995 World Cup (won by the U.S. team of Fred Couples and Davis Love III), the 2001 Tiger Woods China Challenge, organized in honor of Woods' first visit to China, and the 2003 and 2005 editions of the Dynasty Cup, a Ryder Cup-style competition between teams from Asia and Japan.
"The stature of the Mission Hills Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship continues to grow in lock-step with golf's booming popularity around the world," says Chu. "We anticipate a fantastic tournament and foresee even greater import and exposure for the championship in the coming years."