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China Tour launched to boost local talent

The China Golf Association ( CGA ) today officially announced the launch of the China Tour, an ambitious new professional circuit aimed at speeding the development of the country's up and coming golfers.

"The future for golf in China - the real, long-term future - is not paying large sums to bring the world's superstars to play here. It is creating our own stars," Jiang Xiuyun, the executive vice-president of the CGA told a press conference at the Peninsula Palace hotel in Beijing .

"Apart from Zhang Lianwei and Liang Wenchong, we need to create more stars that we ourselves can be proud of, stars that the Chinese people will flock to see and stars that will eventually play among the world's top golfers in the world's top tournaments. But we can only achieve this by giving our best and most promising golfers the opportunity to develop their competitive skills; by giving them the chance to compete regularly."

CGA is partnering with industry heavyweight, World Sport Group (WSG), the Singapore based company which last month signed a US$200 million extension to their agreement with the Asian Football Confederation.

"Our five year contract with World Sport Group gives China Tour a long-term, rock-solid foundation. The terms of this partnership guarantees that the tour will grow; it guarantees that the individual events will grow and it guarantees that the talented young golfer in China can earn enough to plan a career as a tournament player in the real sense." The China Tour will begin with four events in 2005, each with a US$100,000 pool of prize money, and will expand by two events each year so that by 2008 there will be at least 10 tournaments, with US$200,000 at stake.

"It's all about professionalism, profile and profit," declared WSG senior vice-president Nick Mould. "The professionalism of consistently presenting quality events over a number of years will raise the profile of the game, the China Tour and Chinese players in China . Those players who consistently compete and perform consistently well, will also raise their personal profile and, through the prize money on offer, will be able to profit from their success. It won't happen instantly. It is a long-term process, and this is the first step. It's developmental. It's an investment in the future development of golf in China - but we are convinced that China Tour will be the birthplace of a galaxy of rising stars!"

China Tour - Evolution

2005 - 4 tournaments, prize money US$100,000 per event

2006 - 6 tournaments, prize money US$150,000 per event

2007 - 8 tournaments, prize money US$175,000 per event

2008 - 10 tournaments, prize money US$200,000 per event

China Tour 2005 dates

August 17th to 19th - Elephant Golf Club , Beijing

September 21st to 23rd - venue to be announced

October 12th to 14th - venue to be announced

November 2nd to 4th - venue to be announced

July 5, 2005