• Defending champion, Branden Grace will be aiming to become the first player to successfully defend the Volvo China Open. In 2012 he became the first South African winner of the tournament. This was his third title of 2012 and he became only the second player to graduate from The European Tour Qualifying School and win three times the season after graduation. The first was Johan Edfors in 2006.
• In the 18 previous stagings of the Volvo China Open dating back to 1995, there have been 18 different winners, from 13 different countries. England have the most wins with three – Ed Fryatt (1998), Simon Dyson (2000) and Paul Casey (Nov 2005 – part of the 2006 European Tour season). The host nation have produced two winners – Chen Jun (1997) and Zhang Lian-wei (2003).
• Alexander Noren is a player with fond memories of the Volvo China Open. Although he has yet to win the event, he was tied eighth in 2010 and tied sixth in 2012. Last year over the Pete Dye Course at the Binhai Lake venue, the Swede established a course record of 63 (-9) in round three.
• The Volvo China Open had the distinction of being the first European Tour event to be played twice in the same season. This occurred in the 2006 season, firstly played in November 2005, won by Paul Casey and then by Jeev Milkha Singh in April 2006.
• European Tour history will be made at the 2013 Volvo China Open. Ye Wo-cheng will become the youngest player to compete in a European Tour event, aged just 12 years and 242 days. He will break the record of Guan Tian-lang, who was 13 years and 177 days in this event, 12 months previous. The 12 year old qualified for this year’s tournament as a result of finishing in the top three in the Western China Qualifying.
• If not already exempt, the winner of the Volvo China Open will gain an exemption into the 2013 Volvo World Match Play Championship.
