Quality field lines up in China for HSBC
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2005 HSBC Champions Tournament | Preview | 09 Nov 2005
The HSBC Champions tournament begins in Shanghai in China tomorrow bringing together a broad mix of golfing professionals from around the world, most of who have performed with distinction on their respective tours.
Seventy five players tee it up for US$5 million at the Shesan International Golf Club with those players either being inside the top fifty in the world ranking, won events on the European, Asian, South African or Australasian Tours or have reached certain milestones on money lists.
It brings together a field ranging from the world’s number one Tiger Woods to several local Chinese players, who hardly rate a blip on the international golfing radar. It is a field however that possesses seven of the top twenty in the world and on that alone it is an event of significance.
The event carries a first prize of €704,500 with even the 10th player scheduled to get a cheque around €85,000.
The course was designed by Neil Haworth of the Singapore based design team of Nelson Haworth and was opened just last October. Nelson Haworth have completed more than a dozen course in China and in that respect are the most prolific of the foreign design companies to have worked in that region. The course measures 7140 yard and is par 72. It has bentgrass greens.
The favourite just for being here but also to win the event is obviously Woods after a reasonable week last week in Atlanta. He was frustrated with his play at the Tour Championship but clearly if he could beat all but the runaway Bart Bryant in a field that included the top twenty nine on the USPGA Tour money list then he can beat this field even if his game is not quite right.
Vijay Singh is also here after a return to slightly better form in Atlanta last week. After two missed cuts it needed to be. The clash between he and Woods will prove a great boost to Chinese golf.
Padraig Harrington played well last week in Atlanta and in Spain the previous week. He has won and played well in Asia previously and now that he is back playing a little better, he might be a chance to topple the favourites.
Colin Montgomerie and China seem to get along well. He has won two events already here and given that he will arrive this week feeling on top of the world as a result of his Order of Merit success, he stands a good chance.
It was in China in April where the turnaround that led to Michael Campbell’s win at Pinehurst began. The New Zealander arrives here off a reasonable if unspectacular week in Spain but he has advanced many levels since he last left these shores and his return will be watched with interest.
There are many other leading European players who also stand a chance. Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, David Howell, Paul McGinley, and Lee Westwood amongst others are all capable of winning here on any given week.
Of the Australasians Nick O’Hern is the leading ranked ahead of Rod Pampling, Richard Green and Craig Parry. Parry found form a month ago when he was runner up at the Japan Open but perhaps it will be O’Hern that will do best here. He has not played quite as well in recent weeks but he can look back on a good year overall.
Not that the Australasian chances stop there. Of much interest will be the effort of Steve Bowditch, the recent graduate to the PGA Tour. Bowditch is here because of his performance in Australia early in the year and although not always the most consistent of players, he has shown this year that he is capable of matching it with the best when he is in top form. Having made it to the PGA Tour he arrives here with greater self belief and it will be interesting to see how he performs as a member of the tour that he has always wanted to play on.
Others from Australasia who have a start in an event that will likely be the most significant they have played in are Peter O’Malley, Kim Felton, Adam Le Vesconte, Brett Rumford, Euan Walters and Richard Lee.
Photo – Anthony Powter
