Bubba Watson will travel halfway round the world to headline the field in the inaugural Shenzhen International in China this week, swapping the green jackets of Augusta National for Genzon Golf Club.
The American finished tied 38th on his Masters Tournament defence, and will now attempt to make it back-to-back wins on Chinese soil, having triumphed in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai last November.
“Back-to-back wins in China would be pretty special,” said two-time Masters Champion Watson. “This is a great opportunity for me to come back to China and play in a new event, which will make a big contribution to the development of golf in southern China. I’m looking forward to getting to Shenzhen and playing my part in making some history.”
Watson is part of a strong field in Shenzhen, 30km north of Hong Kong, with young Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal and recent winner Richie Ramsay of Scotland all heading east for the first part of a two-week swing in China.
Frenchman Alex Levy, who has enjoyed much success in the world’s most populous country, winning the Volvo China Open last year and finishing tied second in the BMW Masters in Shanghai just over five months ago, is also in the line-up for the US$2.5million event.
Indeed, Levy’s victory came at Genzon Golf Club in April 2014, and the Volvo China Open has subsequently moved to Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club for the second leg of the fortnight swing.
Genzon Golf Club is located in the picturesque CITIC Botanical Garden, and the venue also holds good memories for Fleetwood and big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, who were second and third respectively there in year’s China Open.
Other notable names in the field include former Ryder Cup player David Howell, Frenchman Gary Stal who won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January, and home hope Guan Tiang-lang, the 16 year old amateur who became the youngest player to make the cut in a Major Championship at the 2013 Masters Tournament.
The field for the Shenzhen International will comprise 100 players from The European Tour, 50 players from the CGA (China Golf Association) and six sponsors’ invitations.
The tournament, which will be promoted by IMG, is the first of four events being held in China on The 2015 European Tour International Schedule.
