Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington, the 2007 US Open and Open Champions respectively, and two-time US Open Champion Retief Goosen are the latest star players to confirm they will be in China competing for the coveted HSBC Champions title at the Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, from November 8-11, 2007.
The two first time Major winners join a field already rich in world class golfers including World Number Three Phil Mickelson, World Number Four Ernie Els, World Number Seven Vijay Singh, and World Number Eight Sergio Garcia. The players, who boast 13 Majors between them, will compete for a $5 million prize fund at the HSBC Champions, an event growing in stature and described by players last year as ‘Asia’s Major’
Cabrera, the first Argentine winner of the US Open Championship, said: “I am delighted to be playing in the HSBC Champions – it is my first time playing in the tournament and I would be very happy to win the champion of champions title. I think it is a very good concept – inviting the winners from the different Tours - and I am very much looking forward to my week in Shanghai.”
Ranked a career high Number Six in the World, Harrington said: “I am really looking forward to returning to the Sheshan International Golf Club in November. I finished tied sixth there last year and certainly hope to improve on that position this year. The HSBC Champions has one of the strongest fields of the year outside of the Majors and it would be a great event to win to kick of my 2008 season and boost my year end World Ranking.”
Goosen, who won The Commercialbank Qatar Masters earlier this year, added, “The course at Sheshan really suits my game - last year I shot three great rounds in the 60s. This year I’ll be looking to play well the whole week as well as enjoy my visit to Shanghai as much as I did last year.”
Defending Champion, Yong-eun Yang has also confirmed he will be back to defend his title. Last year, he became only the second Korean to win on The European Tour, following in the footsteps of KJ Choi, holding off an elite field which included Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Retief Goosen.
He commented, “I am looking forward to defending my title. Winning the HSBC Champions was the most important title of my career and I hope that I will be able to play well at Sheshan again this year.”
Giles Morgan, HSBC’s Head of Sports Sponsorship and Marketing, added: “We are delighted that two of this year’s Major winners are coming to the HSBC Champions along with our defending Champion, Yong-eun Yang, and Retief Goosen. With early commitment from Ernie, Vjiay, Sergio and Phil, we already have five of the World’s top ten golfers in the field. We are thrilled at the impact the HSBC Champions has had in Asia and around the world over the last two years and look forward to making the third HSBC Champions our best yet.”
Last year’s field included representatives from over 20 countries making it one of the most international on the schedule. The tournament also attracted famous names from other sports, with World tennis Number One Roger Federer and Spanish ace Rafael Nadal visiting the Sheshan International Golf Club to watch the action.
The HSBC Champions is also the only tournament where winners from around the world are rewarded with an invitation to compete against the world’s leading players for the largest prize fund on offer in Asia of US$5 million.
HSBC Champions will be played at the Sheshan International Golf Club. The event is co-sanctioned by The European Tour, Asian Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Sunshine (Southern Africa) Tour, and the China Golf Association.
For qualification criteria and prize money breakdowns at HSBC’s events, please visit HSBCgolf.com
