Han Ximin

THERE will be a plenty of national pride and US$5 million at stake when the World Cup of Golf begins a new era at Mission Hills, the world’s largest golf club, today.

The four-day event was inaugurated yesterday on the Olazabal Course at the club, which stretches from Shenzhen to southern Dongguan. The club will host the annual event until 2018.

Zhang Siqing, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua and Li Dengcheng, chairman of the Shenzhen Committee of the CPPCC, attended the grand opening ceremony.

The tournament may have lost its place in the World Golf Championships schedule and there will be no Tiger Woods this year, but competition is sure to be fierce among the 56 golfers who have gathered here to represent 28 countries.

Chinese veteran Zhang Lianwei and his successor, China’s No. 1 Liang Wenchong, are flying the flag for the home team China.

Other big names at the event include Justin Rose, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie.

Cai Zhenhua, vice minister of the General Administration of Sport, said he hoped the tournament would help popularize golf in China.

“China will become more open and have a broader horizon concerning sport. The World Cup will present a significant cultural opportunity to take China to another level internationally. Sport, and this event in particular, will help China to integrate on a global level,” said Cai.

First held in 1953, the World Cup of Golf has been labeled “The Olympics of Golf” and is the highest level of team competition in the sport. In early 1995, Mission Hills hosted the 41st edition. (More on Page 7)