European Senior Tour stars offered some valuable advice to China’s next generation of golfers at the Mission Hills Par 3 competition, taking place before the inaugural ISPS Handa Senior World Championship presented by Mission Hills.
Some of Mission Hills’ aspiring juniors played in an 18-hole par three pro-am over the Zhang Lian Wei Course with 18 Senior Tour members, many of whom competed in the famous par three competition at Augusta National, played before the Masters Tournament each year.
The event was backed by Mission Hills and supported by ISPS (International Sports Promotion Society) and Rolex.
Ian Woosnam, who won the Masters in 1991, said: “Even in a short time, it is unbelievable to see the improvement in junior golf in China. It will not be long before there is a Chinese Major Champion.
“On behalf of the European Senior Tour players I would like to thank Mission Hills for hosting us this week. It really is wonderful for the Tour to be here.”
Tenniel Chu, Executive Director of Mission Hills China, presented prizes to the winning team of the Mission Hills Par, Australia’s Graham Banister with China’s Wu Sha, Chen Dan Lu and Zhang Yu Shan, who also took the prize for the nearest the pin competition.
Tenniel Chu, said: “It is a blessing to have these golfing legends with us today at the par three competition and, indeed, this week for the inaugural ISPS Handa Senior World Championship.
“Today’s event offered an extraordinary experience to our young generation of golf, allowing them to interact with our golf legends, which I am sure will be a valuable memory in their golfing journey.
“At Mission Hills, we have long been proud of our position at the forefront of golf development in China. With the golfing legends in Mission Hills, I hope they will be an inspiration to all of our junior golfers.”
Mission Hills’ commitment to develop the sport is shared by ISPS (International Sports Promotion Society), title sponsor of the Senior World Championship, who support a number of initiatives including the promotion of blind and disabled golf, which will be a feature of the Championship Pro-Am held on the eve of the tournament.
The ISPS Handa Senior World Championship takes place on the Jack Nicklaus-designed World Cup Course at Mission Hills Shenzhen from March 11-13. Visitors will be able to watch greats such as Sandy Lyle, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam for free. For more details about getting to Mission Hills Shenzhen, go towww.missionhillschina.com
