Colin Montgomerie and Michael Campbell, the leading two players on The 2005 European Tour Order of Merit, will line up alongside the two best players in the world, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, in a star-studded field of title winners and world class golfers in the inaugural HSBC Champions tournament at Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, this week, in a tournament that carries biggest purse ever on the Asian continent of $5 million.
The tournament launches The 2006 European Tour International Schedule and Montgomerie, for one, will be looking to make a flying start to a new campaign following his success in becoming European Tour Number One for an unprecedented eighth time after a six-year hiatus.
"I am thrilled to have won my eighth Order of Merit title and, after a such a long gap where everyone probably thought I wouldn't be able to do it again, it is particularly satisfying," said Montgomerie.
"I am now looking to get my 2006 campaign off to a great start and to consolidate my position on The Ryder Cup rankings and a win or a good finish at the HSBC Champions would certainly do that."
Campbell, the reigning US Open Champion, may have lost out to Montgomerie in the Order of Merit race but he will be eager to get back on the winning trail as he targets a unique HSBC double by following his HSBC World Match Play Championship triumph at Wentworth Club in September.
But among those standing in their way is the reigning Masters and Open Champion, Woods, who will be playing his first Official World Golf Ranking Tournament in China. In addition to his two Major Championship triumphs in 2005, Woods also captured two World Golf Championships events, namely the NEC Invitational and the American Express Championship, and a further two US PGA Tour titles during a remarkable season.
“I am really excited to come to China to play in the HSBC Champions event,” he said. “I like the concept of crowning the Champion of Champions from four major Tours and certainly hope that I can top off my year by winning the inaugural HSBC Champions title.
“Playing around the world is one of the perks of professional golf and I have been eager to work a return visit to China into my schedule. There is a real buzz about golf in China as it grows in popularity so I think it will be an amazing week for both the players and the fans.”
Singh, a winner of four titles in 2005, has enjoyed plenty of success during his career in the Far East but will be looking for a first title on Chinese soil.
Ireland’s Paul McGinley will be another player arriving in China brimming with confidence and will be looking for consecutive titles following his superb victory in the Volvo Masters at Club de Golf Valderrama. McGinley and Montgomerie will be joined by seven of their Ryder Cup team-mates from the record-breaking 2004 European Team as Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Thomas Levet, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood all journey to Shanghai.
The HSBC Champions tournament brings together title winners from the four sanctioning Tours – The European Tour, the Asian Tour, the PGA of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour - in addition to players from the top 50 in the World and invitations from the China Golf Federation. A total of 27 winners on The 2005 European Tour International Schedule are taking part as is the Challenge Tour Number One, Marc Warren of Scotland.
China’s top golfer, Zhang Lian-Wei heads the home challenge while Asian Tour Number One, Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand will be looking to win for the fourth time this year.
With the creation of the HSBC Champions tournament in China, HSBC’s support for world golf now spans Asia, Europe and the USA. In Europe, the bank sponsors the HSBC World Match Play Championship offering the highest first prize in the history of golf at the Wentworth Club in England. Earlier this year, HSBC sponsored the only individual match play championship in women’s golf, in New Jersey, USA.
Partnered by tournament organisers IMG, HSBC will be title sponsor of the tournament for an initial period of five years.
