HSBC, one of the world’s largest financial services organisations, has announced that it will become title sponsors of the richest golf event on the Asian continent, the new HSBC Champions tournament, which will be played at the Shanghai Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China, from 10-13 November 2005.
The event, which carries a prize fund of $5,000,000 and first prize of $833,300, will be co-sanctioned by The European Tour, the Asian Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Sunshine Tour and the China Golf Association, making the inaugural HSBC Champions tournament a truly international ‘championship of champions’.
China, one of the fastest growing golf markets in the world, has already hosted five tournaments on The 2005 European Tour International Schedule, and the HSBC Champions event will mark the start of The 2006 European Tour International Schedule.
HSBC Group Chairman Sir John Bond said, “It is fitting that HSBC, a company founded in Hong Kong and Shanghai 140 years ago, should now play an important part in the development of golf in China. We are honoured by this opportunity and would like to thank the China Golf Association and the Municipal Government for their support.
“HSBC has been privileged to enjoy a continuous presence in the city of Shanghai since 1865, but we are not investing in golf simply because of our history here. In China, we see a country whose economic progress in the last 25 years has been nothing short of astonishing. By bringing the world’s best golfers to play alongside winners across Asia and rising stars in China, we hope the HSBC Champions tournament will further increase the appeal of golf and inspire young golfers across the region.
“Golf absolutely mirrors HSBC’s character and how we like to do business. We are therefore proud of this new, increased commitment to the game. Internationalism, inclusiveness and integrity are as much characteristics of the sport as they are of HSBC and we are proud of our association.”
With the creation of the HSBC Champions tournament in China, HSBC’s support for world golf now spans Asia, Europe and the USA. In Europe, the bank sponsors the HSBC World Match Play Championship offering the highest first prize in the history of golf at the Wentworth Club in the UK. In July this year, HSBC will sponsor the only individual match play championship in women’s golf, in New Jersey, USA.
Partnered by tournament organisers IMG, HSBC will be title sponsor of the tournament for an initial period of five years. The HSBC Champions tournament will be broadcast in China on CCTV and internationally by European Tour productions.
HSBC Champions Tournament www.hsbcgolf.com
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