The 2024 Road to Mallorca will return to Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club for the first time in five years when it hosts the Hainan Open from October 10-13.
The course, located in the Jiyang District on Hainan Island, will play host to the Hainan Open for a fifth time, having previously held the event from 2016-2019. The parkland layout, which offers stunning views of the South China Sea, has also been a qualifying site for the Volvo China Open.
Italy’s Francesco Laporta was the last Challenge Tour winner at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club, claiming a one-stroke victory in 2019 before winning the Challenge Tour Grand Final three weeks later to secure promotion to golf’s Global Tour.
Other past champions at the venue include DP World Tour winners Kalle Samooja from Finland and South Africa’s Erik Van Rooyen, who set a tournament record of 18 under par in 2017.
The Hainan Open marks the first of back-to-back Challenge Tour events in China, with both offering an increased prize fund of $500,000 and additional Road to Mallorca Ranking points. The tournament presents one of the final opportunities for players to climb the Rankings as they target promotion to the DP World Tour.
Dai Yuying, General Manager of Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club, said: “We would like to extend our warmest welcome to the Challenge Tour. Our team has invested a lot of time and energy in the maintenance and upgrading of the course and its facilities in anticipation of the return of the Hainan Open to Sanya Luhuitou, and we look forward to all the players unleashing their passion, challenging themselves, and pushing their limits on this beautiful course.”
Jamie Hodges, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “We’re delighted to confirm the Challenge Tour will be returning to this special venue for a fifth time. The Hainan Open offers crucial points to our players as the Road to Mallorca enters its final stages, and with every past champion gaining promotion to the DP World Tour the same year, this year’s event will certainly be one to keep an eye on.”
