World Number One, Tiger Woods, and World Number Two and defending champion, Phil Mickelson, will play in the 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai from November 4-7, 2010.
Last year, the first carrying the coveted World Golf Championship title, the WGC-HSBC Champions gathered the strongest field of Champions seen in Asia with seven of the world’s top ten and 20 of the world’s top 30 golfers competing for the ‘champion of champions’ title.
Mickelson finished top of a star studded leader board at the 2009 WGC-HSBC Champions, finishing one shot clear of three-time Major winner, Ernie Els, after the South African piled on the pressure with a magnificent round of 63. Paired with fellow American Woods on the Sunday, Mickelson capped off four magnificent sub 70 rounds with a 69 to seal his second win at Sheshan International while Woods’ challenge failed to catch fire with a level par 72 leaving him in tied sixth postion.
Mickelson, a four time Major Winner and World Number Two, explained “It was an honour to win the first World Golf Championships to be held in China against such a truly world-class field and I am really looking forward to defending my WGC-HSBC Champions title in November.”
This will be Mickelson’s fourth consecutive appearance in the event. He also claimed the title in 2007 for his first victory in Asia and first internationally since 1993.
He said, “Shanghai is a special place and I’ve felt very comfortable there ever since my first visit, when my family joined me and we had the fun of exploring and experiencing so much of what Shanghai as to offer.”
He concluded, “I think we saw a giant step forward in the world of golf when HSBC were elevated to WGC status last year, recognising the importance of our fastest growing and potentially largest market. HSBC delivered another world class tournament and I strongly believe this will play an important part in growing the game of golf in China and throughout Asia.”
Woods is looking for his first HSBC Champions title having finished runner up in 2005 and 2006 and sixth at last year’s tournament. Winner of 71 PGA Tour titles, 14 Majors and 16 WGC titles, and Number One for the last 270 weeks, Woods said of the WGC HSBC Champions, “This is a title the players would love to win and I am looking forward to having another shot at the title this year.
The success of the WGC-HSBC Champions last year was noted all around the world and I believe, along with golf’s new Olympic status, the WGC-HSBC Champions will play a very significant role in developing the game of golf in Asia and around the globe. I am looking forward to returning to Shanghai and the immaculately conditioned Sheshan International Golf Club in November.
Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship at HSBC said “In our first year carrying the WGC mantle we gathered a world class field and delivered a world class tournament. Phil was a deserving champion and given his proactive support of golf in Asia, a very popular one. We are delighted with the way everything went last year and are working very hard to raise the bar again at this year’s WGC-HSBC Champions.
