Players drive home favorite Tour memories
PGA series continues to win praise from top golfers across the globe
A lot has happened on PGA Tour Series-China since Zhang Lianwei hit the first official tee shot in the Tour’s history, doing so on a cool, damp Thursday morning to open the first round of the 2014 Mission Hills Haikou Open.
Just six months later and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced the formation of the Tour in a news conference at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the upstart Tour was under way — joining its fellow international tours, PGA Tour Latinoamerica and the Mackenzie Tour — PGA Tour Canada — under the PGA Tour umbrella. Zhang, the longtime China professional, earned the honors.
Four days later, South Korean teenager Wang Jeung-hun walked away from Haikou with a big smile on his face, winning that inaugural event by 10 strokes — a record margin-of-victory that still stands today.
Wang has since gone on to make a name for himself on the European Tour, earning that Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award after winning two tournaments in 2016. China’s Dou Zecheng and Zhang Xinjun moved from the PGA Tour Series-China to the Web.com Tour to the PGA Tour, while China’s Li Haotong shot a finalround 63 at the 2017 Open Championship. When golf returned as a sport to the 2016 Summer Olympics, both Li and Wang represented their countries at the Games in Brazil.
Already the possessor of an impressive resume, PGA Tour Series-China is now ready to embark on a significant milestone of its own. This week’s Zhuhai Championship at the Orient Golf Club will be the 50th tournament in the Tour’s history. A lot has happened in those first 49 tournaments, with 31 different players representing nine countries and regions taking home trophies.
Exactly 233 weeks will have passed since that opening tee shot in Haikou back in 2014.
Memories are abundant as players have competed throughout the Chinese mainland, while also playing tournaments in Hong Kong and Macao. With this milestone on the horizon, several players — past and present — shared their thoughts as PGA Tour Series-China hits the big 5-0.