Tiger Woods arrived at Mission Hills Golf Club yesterday amid tight security, looking forward to playing this weekend after flying into Shenzhen in his private jet from the US. Woods was greeted by about 100 journalists, who jostled to have a look at the golfing great at the entrance to the club's hotel. About 200 journalists are here for his visit, making it one of the most covered events in China outside the World Cup qualifiers and All-China National Games.
Sporting a goatee, Woods briefly smiled at photographers before being whisked away to his hotel suite. His car was escorted by a fleet of police vehicles. He arrived with an entourage of about 10 people, including bodyguards. 'It's been a long flight and it's great to finally be here. I am really looking forward to playing this weekend,' said Woods. His arrival was greeted by shouts of 'Tiger' as he slipped through the hotel lobby.
Woods' parents, Earl and Kultida, are also at Mission Hills to watch their son play. They arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday and did some shopping before travelling to Shenzhen yesterday. Woods' first appearance in China has sparked the imagination of the Chinese public with his name and photo emblazoned on billboards all over the city in an event billed as the BBK Tiger Woods Mission Hills Challenge.
Shenzhen Mayor Yu Youjun will also get in on the act as the guest of honour at this morning's opening ceremony. All 8,000 two-day tickets have been sold, although it remains unclear as to whether tickets sold were bought by golf enthusiasts from Hong Kong or the mainland. Each ticket cost $2,000, which is about four times the average worker's salary in China.
Woods, who is rumoured to have received a US$2 million appearance fee, will host a clinic this morning before taking on three of Asia's top-ranked professional golfers at the World Cup course in the afternoon. The four-man event will be broadcast live on Phoenix television.
About 20 youngsters from the Asia Cup Challenge, a series of junior tournaments held in China, Singapore and Malaysia, will take part in the 30-minute clinic.