Qualification for next year’s HSBC Champions and HSBC World Match Play Championship begins this week at Sheshan International Golf Club.
The winner this week will be the first to secure a place in next year’s HSBC Champions, which returns to Sheshan International Golf Club for a third time from November 8-11, 2007.
The HSBC Champions is also the first counting event towards the “HSBC European Tournament Rankings”, a list where World Ranking Points earned from seven events - an increase from five last season - on The European Tour International Schedule determine two of the 16 places in the field for the HSBC World Match Play Championship. The other tournaments for 2007 are the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, Johnnie Walker Classic, BMW Championship, BMW International Open, Open de France ALSTOM and Smurfit Kappa European Open. The HSBC World Match Play Championship will be played over Wentworth Club’s West Course from October 11-14, 2007.
HSBC CHAMPIONS
Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th November 2007
Format
The Tournament shall be decided by 72 holes of stroke play. In principle there will be no cut, unless the final field size is greater than 78 players. In this case a cut will be introduced after 2 rounds to the leading 65 professionals and those tying for 65th place (i.e. when determining the cut any qualifying amateurs will be in addition to the professional field at this stage).In either case all professionals in the field will be paid.
Eligibility
(a) Players ranked within the Top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings as at 15th October 2007
(b) Winners from all Main Tour sanctioned, Order of Merit/Money List tournaments of the Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour ( Summer swing only) and European Tour between the dates of 9th November 2006 and 5th November 2007
(c ) A limited number of invitations to be mutually agreed between HSBC/IMG and the Tours.
(d) 8 Chinese Players
(e) Any players, not otherwise exempt, within:
(i) The top 20 only of the 2007 Final European Tour Order of Merit. (ii) The top 5 only from the 2006/2007 Final Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. (iii) The top 5 only from the 2006 final PGA Tour of Australasia Money List. (iv) The top 5 only from the current Asian Tour Money List as at 5th November 2007.
(f) The leading money winner on the 2006 PGA Tour of Australasia’s Von Nida Tour, final Order of Merit.
(g) The leading money winner on the 2007 Sunshine Tour’s - Winter Swing final Order of Merit. (After the Platinum Classic)
(h) The leading money winner on the 2007 final European Challenge Tour Rankings
HSBC WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th October 2007
Format
A field of 16 players will compete in 36 hole elimination match play rounds
Eligibility
(a) The defending champion
(b) The world number 1 from the official world golf rankings as of 1st January 2007.
(c) The leading 10 available professionals not otherwise exempt in (a) or (b), from the “HSBC Major Championships Ranking” at the conclusion of the 2007 US PGA championship. (August 13th 2007)
(d) The leading 2 available European Tour Members not otherwise exempt in (a)-(c) from the “HSBC European Tournament Rankings”. These rankings will reflect the actual world rankings points earned by European Tour members in the following 7 events:
HSBC Champions Tournament (9th -12th November 2006)
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (18th – 21st January 2007)
Johnnie Walker Classic (1st - 4th March 2007)
BMW Championship (24th -27th May 2007)
BMW International Open (21st -24th June 2007
Open de France ALSTOM (28th June – 1st July 2007)
Smurfit Kappa European Open (5th – 8th July 2007)
In the event of a tie or ties for the qualifying positions from these rankings, these will be decided by the highest finish by a player in any of the 7 events. If still tied then the player(s) with the highest Official World Golf Ranking as of 9th July will qualify.
(e) The leading 2 available European Tour members not otherwise exempt in (a)-(d) from the 2007 European Tour Order of Merit as of 24th September.
Prize Money Breakdown
Winner £1,000,000
Runner-up £400,000
Losing semi-finalists x 2 £120,000
Losing quarter- finalists x 4 £80,000
First round losers x 8 £60,000
Total £2,440,000
Breakdown for European Tour Order of Merit
Winner £406,660
Runner-up £271,110
Losing semi-finalists x 2 £137,372
Losing quarter- finalists x 4 £80,764
First round losers x 8 £42,151
