Mission Hills Golf Club to host WGC-HSBC Champions
The Ryder Cup fever is over and the golf world has now set his eyes on the WGC-HSBC Champions 2012.
It is an elite level tournament, as almost all of the world top golfers take part in this event, even the criteria for selection is different for this tournament.
HSBC Champions got the WGC status in 2009 and it is the fourth WGC event of the year. The event was played on Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai but the event has been shifted to Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen.
Mission Hills Golf Course is presently the world largest golf facility. It has eleven championship courses and an 18-hole par 3 course.
All of these courses have been designed by a different golf personality so every course boasts of uniqueness in its layout.
WGC-HSBC Champions 2012 will take place on the course designed by Jose Maria Olazabal. Recently, Olazabal led Europe to a successful Ryder Cup campaign.
The Mission Hills has been hosting some world class golfing events. From 2007 to 2009, the facility was host to Omega Mission Hills World Cup.
The Olazabal course is a true test for a golfer. It is regarded as the toughest course on the facility. The Olazabal Course is a 7300 yards beauty.
The course has 151 bunkers, including 24 on the 15th hole only. The Spaniard has been well known for his sand wedges and he has surely expressed himself properly on this course.
The Olazabal Course is also referred to as the Olympics of Golf.
The field at this year’s WGC-HSBC Champions is one of the toughest, as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy find themselves locked in a new rivalry.
Apart from that, almost all the top golfers are playing in this year event, including the two-time champion Phil Mickelson and defending Champion Martin Kaymer.
Most of the players in this year’s field have already played this tournament at least once before but what they will find new is the golf course.
Shifting over golf courses is not an easy task, especially for the defending champion. That is because, in reality, he is not the defending champion, as the course on which he won is not the one on which he will be defending the title.
Kaymer said, “It is a little bit of a disadvantage to be defending my title on a different course but I really liked the Olazabal Course when I played the World Cup there in 2009 so I am looking forward to returning and seeing if I can mount a successful
defence of this prestigious title”.
Hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions is another feather in the cap for Mission Hills Golf Club.
Over the years, the facility has continued to serve the game of golf by hosting high profile events and WGC-HSBC Champions is another world class event.
Tags: