The 2024 Volvo China Open qualifying competition will take place at the Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzhen on the 17th and 18th of April with a total of 12 places available for the main tournament, including nine spots for mainland Chinese players and three spots for non-mainland Chinese players. The qualifying event is open to professional and amateur players alike without qualification.
The Volvo China Open, organized by the China Golf Association, was established in 1995 and is the longest-running international professional golf tournament in mainland China.
This year, after a five-year hiatus, the tournament is once again co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, with a total prize fund of US$2.25 million, making it the highest-level and highest-paying professional golf tournament in China this year.
Following the principle of "openness," the Volvo China Open has since 2005 emulated internationally renowned national-level championships such as The Open and The U.S. Open by establishing qualifying rounds.
The purpose is to provide a pathway for more professional and amateur players without qualification, especially promising local Chinese players to participate in the tournament and gain valuable opportunities to compete in China's national-level golf open championship.
Due to the Covid pandemic, the qualifying events were canceled from 2020 to 2022 and only resumed last year. In late July 2023, the event was held at the Weipeng Yishan Golf Club in Wuhan and became part of the 2023 China Tour.
Ye Wocheng emerged as champion and 19 other players earned qualification for the Volvo China Open after four rounds of competition over 72 holes.
The qualifying event this year will take the form of a two-round, 36-hole individual stroke play tournament, open to 90 mainland Chinese players and 30 non-mainland Chinese players.
Male professionals (including coaches) who have not otherwise qualified for the 2024 Volvo China Open through other channels, as well as amateur players with a handicap index of 3.0 or below, can enter.
The registration period is from 9:00 am on March 25th to 5:00 pm on March 29th(Beijing Time). Players should click on the registration link https://volvoingolf.com/qualifying-registration/10218 during the registration period, or log on to the official website of the Volvo China Open at www.volvoingolf.com to access the registration system, fill in and submit the information. The tournament organizing committee will announce the list of players who have been successful three days after the registration deadline.
In this year's Volvo China Open qualifying event, a cut will be set after the first round. The top nine mainland Chinese players (including ties) and players within 10 strokes of the ninth-placed player will make the cut.
For non-mainland Chinese players, the top three (including ties) and players within 10 strokes of the third-placed player will also make the cut. After the completion of the 36-hole competition, the top nine mainland Chinese players and the top three non-mainland Chinese players will earn qualification for the 2024 Volvo China Open. In case of a tie with more players than available spots, a sudden-death playoff hole will be used to determine the final outcome.
"Since 2005, hosting the qualifying events has been an important tradition of the Volvo China Open, and it has become a distinct feature to provide more opportunities for local Chinese players to participate in their national golf open," said Michel Zhao, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Volvo China Open.
"Over the past 16 years, many young heroes such as Guan Tianlang (2012, aged 13) and Ye Wocheng (2013, aged 12) have emerged, continuously rewriting Chinese golf history and becoming the youngest participants in the DP World Tour regular season tournaments, leaving many unforgettable memories for fans. We look forward to the birth of similar legends this year."
