Third rival event another blow for Hong Kong Open
Tiger Woods' World Challenge will be held in December, which means three major events will rob city of chance to secure top players
Another stake has been driven deep into the heart of the Hong Kong Open with news that the Tiger Woods hosted World Challenge will be played on the same dates as the Fanling tournament - a move bound to rob the city of many of the world's top players.
The World Challenge is scheduled for December 5-8 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, where it has been since 2001. A limited 18-man field, it will attract the world's best from both sides of the Atlantic. Although many of the leading players on the US PGA Tour are likely to feature in this tournament before the holiday season, the bigger worry is that the top names from the European Tour could also turn up in California.
One such player is Northern Ireland's world number nine Graeme McDowell, who is the defending champion.
"Yes, it could have a bearing on the Hong Kong Open and who will be available to come here," said Iain Valentine, chief executive of the Hong Kong Golf Association. "I'm surprised that Tiger is having this tournament in the same week as the event in South Africa, but I guess since this is a limited draw, he is going ahead."
The tournament in South Africa, the Nedbank Golf Challenge which offers one of the biggest purses in the world - US$6.5 million - is expected to take away the gloss from the Hong Kong Open with a world-class field expected in Sun City. Both the Hong Kong Open and the South African event are held under the umbrella of the European Tour.
When news that the Nedbank Golf Challenge would clash with the Hong Kong Open became public last month, European Tour spokeswoman Vicky Jones admitted: "This may affect the field in Hong Kong slightly."