SHENZHEN, China, May 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Leading Chinese golf and leisure operator Mission Hills Group today announced that it will not be staging the 57th edition of the World Cup of Golf, scheduled to take place in November this year. The decision, which has been made in conjunction with the Federation of PGA Tours, will see the prestigious tournament head overseas for the first time since 2006, with Australia's Royal Melbourne Golf Club confirmed as the host venue for the 2013 edition.
The Group has cited the need to keep the World Cup a truly global event as the reason behind the decision, as Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group, Tenniel Chu explained, "We're happy that the 2013 edition of the World Cup of Golf will be staged at Australia's Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Mission Hills recognizes the need to maintain the tournament's prestigious global status, and as such we feel that both the tournament and the international golfing community will benefit from the 2013 edition being staged outside China. We do, however, remain supportive to the future of the tournament and are committed to hosting the event again when the tournament returns to China."
"Following the recent success of Australian players in international tournaments and the country's status as a leading international golf destination, Australia would be proud to stage this tournament once again and we wish the Royal Melbourne Golf Club every success with this year's event," continued Chu.
Mission Hills has hosted the tournament a record five times in China since its establishment, more than any other venue in the world in the tournament's history. The Group has always been committed to the promotion and development of golf in China. With the game returning to the Olympic Games in 2016, the Group also seeks to foster junior golf development through hosting of various international competitions such as the Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship, Faldo Series Asia, Annika Invitational and Mission Hills Junior Series.
Mission Hills constantly made conscious efforts to take golf to new audiences in China. The Group's new initiatives to popularize golf in the country include the World Celebrity Pro-Am, which welcomed international celebrities from the arenas of sport and entertainment to play in China's leading Pro-Am tournament; the World Ladies Championship; and the Mission Hills Golfathon, which sees competitors from man to woman, professional to amateur and junior at Mission Hills Resorts card a combined score over all the resorts' courses over a six month period.
CONTACT: Sundi Shi, 86-755-2802-0888 x36022, sundishi@missionhillschina.com
SOURCE Mission Hills China
