The European Tour heads east to Shenzhen for the Volvo China Open, an event which has catapulted the careers of China’s biggest golfing stars. Here is what you need to know ahead of this week’s opening tee shot.
The stuff of dreams
Two things punctuate a win in professional golf more than anything else— earning a first win on the big stage and triumphing on home soil. Achieving both at the same time might sound stranger than fiction, but is exactly what China’s two top ranked players have done in this event.
In 2015, Wu Ashun came out on top of a packed leaderboard to claim his maiden European Tour victory in front of the home crowd. The hotly contested race to the finish line saw Wu birdie the final round’s tenth hole and then par the eight remaining holes to hold on for a narrow one stroke victory over David Howell. The triumph was a launching pad for Wu, who last year became the first Chinese player to win three times on the European Tour.
The very next year, Li Hoatong announced himself to the golfing public in his home country, and around the world, as he put on a sublime performance to earn his first European Tour win and keep the Volvo China Open trophy on home soil. It was a masterclass from the now World Number 39 as he bettered his score each day, carding rounds of 69-67-66-64 to pick up an inaugural win, which began his rise up the Official World Golf Ranking.
Levy’s love
Alexander Levy has a rich history at the Volvo China Open—perhaps richer than any other player. The Frenchman first won the event in 2014, when he sailed to a four stroke victory at Genzon Golf Club, this year’s host venue. The win was his first on the European Tour and began an impressive run of results at the event. He finished the tournament in a tie for third in 2015, two shots back of winner Wu Ashun, and after a tied 28th place showing in 2016, he was back on top in China as he went toe-to-toe with Dylan Frittelli, defeating the South African with a birdie on the first play-off hole in 2017. His tied 14th place showing at last year’s event can only be disappointing when held up against his standard of play in this event, but he returns to the site of his maiden triumph and will be looking to for lucky win number three when he tees it up.
Number 25
The Volvo China Open is celebrating it’s 25th birthday this year. It has been a remarkable quarter century for the popular tournament, which continues to grow in size and prominence each time it is staged.
The inaugural tournament was played in 1995 at Beijing International Golf Club and was won by Paraguayan Raúl Fretes. Two years later, Cheng Jun became the first Chinese player to win the Volvo China Open as he cruised to a five stroke victory, again at Beijing International. Although the Volvo China Open is being contested for the 25th time, it became part of the European Tour International Schedule for the first time in late-2004, as it became part of the 2005 season.
It occupied this early spot on the schedule before moving to it’s traditional spring date in 2006, where it has remained since. In total, four Chinese players have won their national Open—Jun, Wu, Li and Zhang Lian-wei, who won the tournament in 2003, the last year before it became a European Tour event.
Return of Genzon
Genzon Golf Club will host China’s national Open for a second time, having previously held the event in 2014 when Levy won. Genzon is part of the European Tour Destinations portfolio, and the first of the venues to be located in China. European Tour Destinations is a network of 32 world class golf venues, which all have a close association with the European Tour. Click here to view each of the 32 venues spanning across 21 countries and three continents.
The Yellow Jacket
While there may be more famous garments handed out to the winner of a golf tournament, there is hardly any prize in golf more striking than the yellow jacket the Volvo china Open winner receives each year.
