Global financial organization HSBC will continue to promote golf both at elite and grassroots levels in China by sponsoring World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, said the bank's top sponsorship executive.
"HSBC Champions has been the catalyst for the extraordinary growth of golf in China and we are committed to continuing this great journey," said Giles Morgan, HSBC global head of sponsorship and events.
HSBC began sponsoring the annual golf event in 2005 with ambitions to create a world-class international golf tournament and share the excitement of the flagship event, which would then open up the world of golf to China, according to the company.
In 2014, when HSBC celebrated the 10th anniversary of the event in Shanghai, Morgan said their mission is accomplished. "We believe we have done that - created a championship that is often referred to as 'Asia's major'," he said.
It was upgraded to the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2009. With the exception of the Open Championships, it has become the highest-ranked golf tournament in the world outside of the United States.
It is also an integral part of the PGA tour's FedEx Cup schedule and European Tour's final series.
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Professional golfers at the HSBC Champions tournament, which has been held at Shanghai's Sheshan Golf Club since 2005.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
Statistics from event management company IMG Golf showed that around 30,000 spectators attended the tournament at Shanghai's Sheshan Golf Club in 2013. IMG said as the number increased greatly since 2005, so has Chinese fans' golf knowledge.
Now operating in China for a decade, the championship is not only a venue for golf fans to appreciate world-class competitions but also bring fundamental changes to golf in China. "One of the main impacts of the WGC-HSBC Champions has been the standard of golf in China," Morgan said.
According to Morgan, the standards and quality of professional golf events in China have improved significantly as more world-leading golf players compete in the WGC-HSBC Champions event.
At this year's tournament in Shanghai between Oct 31 and Nov 3, the world's top five players - Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose - will compete along with the vast majority of the world's top 50.
"Other than a few players who are injured, the event pretty much has a full house," Morgan said.
Winning golf campaign by HSBC Champions
In addition, higher standards are now evident in grassroots golf in China. More and more young Chinese golf players are demonstrating their potential, including 14-year-old Guan Tianlang, who made the cut at the Masters in 2013.
Morgan said the growing stature of the game at the elite level has generated a positive effect as the sport booms in China.
"Over the last decade we have seen rapid growth in the numbers of people playing golf in China, a growing demand for new golf courses and increased general interest in the sport," Morgan said. "China has been at the forefront of a global trend eastward driven by an aspiring, growing middle class and economic development."
In Shanghai alone, the number of golf courses increased from only one in the early 1990s to close to 30 by 2014.
A report released in 2012 by HSBC showed that the number of golf courses in China jumped from 170 in 2005 to more than 600 in 2012. New lower-cost urban courses in inner cities are expected to continue the trend.
As the sport is considered an important social activity in the future, some Chinese kindergartens started to offer golf training and received wide recognition from parents.
Beyond establishing a world-class tournament, HSBC said its long-term goal is to introduce and grow the numbers of golfers in China - particularly young people.
"We want people to go beyond being mere spectators at the tournaments and provide a program to help guide those taking their very first steps - and shots - in golf," Morgan said.
HSBC has established the HSBC China Junior Golf Program to build a sustainable long-term structure and framework for the future of Chinese golf. "The program is a direct result of our ambition - with thousands of young people benefiting. The success of the program and the achievements of its young graduates mirror the success of the tournament," Morgan said.
The youth program is starting to bear fruit. At the US Open in 2012, 14-year-old Andy Zhang became the youngest player ever to qualify for a major and Jing Yan, aged 16, became the youngest Chinese female golfer to ever play in a major tournament when she appeared at the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Liverpool.
tangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn
By Tang Zhihao in Shanghai ( China Daily )
