China Open rescheduled to November tee-off
The Volvo China Open has been rescheduled to November in the wake of the Sars crisis. The Open golf championship of China will take place from November 13-16 at the Shanghai Silport Golf Club.
It was scheduled for September 4-7, but organisers Richtone Worldwide and the China Golf Association decided to delay the tournament because of the disruption caused by the Sars outbreak.
'Holding to our original date at the beginning of September looked impossible and the easy option would have been to cancel and come back next year. But this is China's ultimate in professional golf, its Open championship, and there is no way that we, or Volvo, would even consider passing up the slightest opportunity to hold it this year,' said Alistair Polson, executive director of Richtone,
The showpiece, again worth US$500,000, is the only mainland event remaining on this year's revised Asian PGA Tour schedule.
Former world junior champion David Gleeson is a certainty to defend his crown, regardless of the change of date. Chinese hero Zhang Lianwei has also pledged his commitment as he searches for a first national Open victory. He finished fifth last year.
This will be the fifth year in succession the Volvo China Open will be played over the Shanghai Silport Golf Club. 'The pros like the course a lot, particularly the putting surfaces,' said Polson.
