Two-time Masters Tournament champion Bubba Watson will headline the Shenzhen International for a third straight year when Genzon Golf Club hosts the event from April 20-23.
The 38 year old American is looking for his first win in Shenzhen after tying for 29th and eighth in 2015 and 2016, when Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and South Korea’s Soomin Lee were crowned champions.
“I love the golf course,” said Watson, who is looking forward to his third appearance on Shenzhen International. “The course is a good challenge and the finish there is pretty nice. The 17th is a par-five where you can try to make an eagle or a good birdie and on 18th, the tee-shot is so tough, especially when it gets windy, crosswind, and you’re trying to hit over that water.”
A three time European Tour champion, Kiradech and compatriot Thongchai Jaidee, will lead the Thai challenge at Genzon, with Chinese rising star Li Haotong spearheading the local charge, having played with Watson in the opening rounds of the Shenzhen International for the past two years and just losing out to Kiradech in a playoff in 2015.
Li, 21, won his first European Tour title at last year’s Volvo China Open and in February this year tied for fifth with 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia.
English star Tommy Fleetwood will also be among the pre-tournament favourites in Shenzhen after holding off the now-World Number One Dustin Johnson to win January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for his second European Tour title.
Thorbjørn Olesen, Bernd Wiesberger and Victor Dubuisson, a member of the victorious 2014 Ryder Cup team, are among other leading European contenders.
Genzon staff have been busy preparing the par-72 course for the past few months, closing the course 20 days ahead of the start of the tournament to ensure it is in pristine conditions for the players next week.
Genzon Group created the tournament to provide Shenzhen city and Guangdong province with a world-class sporting event that promotes golf locally and showcases the area to people around the world.
This year, tournament organisers have created a series of special events – Courtesy Class, Courtesy Walk and Eagle Talk – to promote golf’s attractions and virtues, and ensure a richer event experience for the fans.
