#Eleven of the victorious European Ryder Cup Team and five of the world’s top six ranked players will play at Sheshan
Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup heroes will be in Shanghai, China, en masse to try and win the final World Golf Championships of the year at the 2018 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, 25th to 28th October at Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai.
Reigning Champion Justin Rose will have the daunting task of defending his title against his European Ryder Cup teammates; Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm later this month.
Italy’s first Major winner, the 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari, who became the first player to win five out of five points at the Ryder Cup said: “It has been an unbelievable season and to be part of such an amazing team at last week’s Ryder Cup was extremely special. It’s nice to think we will be together again at Sheshan in a few weeks’ time. I think it shows the strength and depth of our team that we all now qualify for World Golf Championships. Of course, this time, we will be on our own out on course trying to win this important title. What a lovely way that would be to finish my year!”
The European stars will once again be up against the best from the US Ryder Cup team including World No.1 Dustin Johnson, 2018 US Open and US PGA Champion Brooks Koepka, 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed and American Ryder Cup rookie, Tony Finau.
Jon Rahm, who closed out a memorable Ryder Cup debut with a victory over Tiger Woods in the Sunday singles, added: “The Ryder Cup experience was everything I dreamt it would be and more. It was such an honor to be part of the team and I can’t wait to be back out there playing with these guys again. I think we will all be feeling confident after the Ryder Cup and will look for a strong finish to 2018. It should be an exciting week.”
Competing for an increased prize fund of US $10 million, this star-studded field will be the strongest gathered in Asia this year.
Leanne Cutts, Group Head of Marketing at HSBC, said of the announcement: “Every year WGC-HSBC Champions welcomes a star-studded field of top golfing talent. We are delighted that this year, 11 of the 12 victorious members of Team Europe will appear at Sheshan International Golf Course. The incredible scenes at Le Golf National were a brilliant example of golf’s potential – unmissable golf supported by passionate fans of all ages. WGC-HSBC Champions has been a wonderful vehicle to grow the game of golf in Asia. As we continue to help golf achieve its potential in the region and around the world, we are looking forward to seeing these incredible golfers again entertaining fans and producing world-class golf in Shanghai.”
As well as hosting the strongest player field in Asia, organisers have planned significant enhancements to every aspect of the spectator experience for this year’s event including adding virtual reality technology to the new Lakeside area boasting a spectator viewing platform with premium sightlines of the 2nd and 9th greens.
Ticket holders will also have the opportunity to get autographs and take pictures with the world’s best players through complimentary entry at the Pro Am played on 24th October.
As part of an on-going initiative to grow the game of golf in China, juniors aged 18 years and under enter for free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Additional discounts are also available for students and families to ensure the event becomes more accessible to fans.
For more details on the WGC-HSBC Champions and all ticket information, please visit https://www.hsbcgolf.com/mens or follow official WeChat account: HSBCChampions
