PGA Tour China
PGA Tour China was a third level professional golf tour formed in 2014 and operated by the PGA Tour. After a hiatus in 2017, the tour resumed in 2018.[1][2] After canceling its entire 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour effectively ceased operation.
 | |
| Formerly | Ping An Bank China Tour-PGA Tour China Series |
|---|---|
| Sport | Golf |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | PGA Tour |
| Inaugural season | 2014 |
| Ceased | 2020 |
| Country | Based in China[lower-alpha 1] |
| Most titles | Tournament wins: 4:  Dou Zecheng Charlie Saxon |
| Related competitions | China Tour PGA Tour Canada PGA Tour Latinoamérica |
History
The United States-based PGA Tour formed the tour in 2014, joining the PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica as their international developmental tours.[3] Similar to the Canadian and Latinoamérica tours, PGA Tour China offered a path to the Korn Ferry Tour for top finishers. It also offered Official World Golf Ranking points to the top-six finishers at each tournament. The top five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of the season received promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour.
In January 2014, PGA Tour China announced qualifying procedures and a 12-event season to begin in April. Two 72-hole qualifying tournaments were played in March. Each event awarded 20 full-time Tour cards, and conditional cards to the next 20 players plus those tied. For its inaugural season, PGA Tour China gave exemptions to the top 70 according to the China Golf Association rankings. After the 40 qualifiers and 70 from the rankings, the balance of the fields were filled through sponsor exemptions, Monday qualifiers and eligible players from the Web.com Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamérica, and PGA Tour Canada.[4] Zhang Lianwei hit the first tee shot in PGA Tour China history.[5]
In April 2015, Ping An Bank became the title sponsor of the tour, being renamed as the Ping An Bank China Tour-PGA Tour China Series.[6]
2020 season
The 2020 season was announced in January with a 14 tournament schedule which ventured outside Greater China for the first time with the Phuket Championship in Thailand.[7] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was initially postponed,[8] before being cancelled in late July, with all exemptions being carried forward to 2021.[9] Earlier in July, China had announced the cancellation all international sporting events for the year.[10] All players who qualified for the PGA Tour China during the 2020 season were eligible for the LocaliQ Series.
Schedule
The following table lists intended official events during the 2020 season.
| Date | Tournament | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar | Sanya Championship | Hainan |
| 5 Apr | Haikou Classic | Hainan |
| 12 Apr | Chongqing Championship | Chongqing |
| 19 Apr | Guangzhou Open | Guangdong |
| 10 May | Clearwater Bay Open | Hong Kong |
| 17 May | Phuket Championship | Thailand |
| 24 May | Beijing Championship | Beijing |
| 13 Sep | Suzhou Championship | Jiangsu |
| 20 Sep | Shanghai Open | Shanghai |
| 27 Sep | Macau Championship | Macau |
2019 season
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 2019 season.[11]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (CN¥) | Winner[lower-alpha 2] | OWGR points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar | Chongqing Championship | Chongqing | 1,500,000 |  Taihei Sato (1) | 6 |
| 7 Apr | Sanya Championship | Hainan | 1,500,000 | Trevor Sluman (1) | 6 |
| 14 Apr | Haikou Championship | Hainan | 1,500,000 | David Kocher (1) | 6 |
| 12 May | Beijing Championship | Beijing | 1,500,000 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Richard Jung (2) | 6 |
| 19 May | Qinhuangdao Championship | Hebei | 1,500,000 |  Luke Kwon (1) | 6 |
| 26 May | Nantong Championship | Jiangsu | 1,500,000 | Kevin Techakanokboon (2) | 6 |
| 16 Jun | Suzhou Open | Jiangsu | 1,500,000 |  Cyril Bouniol (1) | 6 |
| 23 Jun | Huangshan Championship | Anhui | 1,500,000 | Bai Zhengkai (1) | 6 |
| 21 Jul | Guangzhou Open | Guangdong | 1,500,000 | Max McGreevy (1) | 6 |
| 28 Jul | Dongguan Open | Guangdong | 1,500,000 | Joey Lane (1) | 6 |
| 15 Sep | Haikou Classic | Hainan | 1,500,000 |  Quincy Quek (1) | 6 |
| 22 Sep | Zhuzhou Classic | Hunan | 1,500,000 |  Yeung Motin (2) | 6 |
| 13 Oct | Macau Championship | Macau | 1,500,000 | Shin Yong-gu (2) | 6 |
| Clearwater Bay Open | Hong Kong | – | Cancelled[lower-alpha 3] | – |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Renminbi.[13] The top five players on the tour earned status to play on the 2020–21 Korn Ferry Tour.[13]
| Position | Player | Prize money (CN¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max McGreevy | 974,153 |
| 2 | Trevor Sluman | 787,865 |
| 3 | David Kocher | 771,337 |
| 4 | Cyril Bouniol | 674,968 |
| 5 | Luke Kwon | 668,359 |
2018 season
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 2018 season.[14]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (CN¥) | Winner[lower-alpha 4] | OWGR points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar | Chengdu Championship | Sichuan | 1,500,000 | Jeffrey Kang (1) | 6 |
| 25 Mar | Chongqing Championship | Chongqing | 1,500,000 | Cao Yi (1) | 6 |
| 6 May | Changsha Championship | Hunan | 1,500,000 | Charlie Saxon (3) | 6 |
| 13 May | Haikou Championship | Hainan | 1,500,000 | Todd Baek (2) | 6 |
| 10 Jun | Guilin Championship | Guangxi | 1,500,000 | Charlie Saxon (4) | 6 |
| 17 Jun | Kunming Championship | Yunnan | 1,500,000 | Yeung Motin (1) | 6 |
| 15 Jul | Yantai Championship | Shandong | 1,500,000 | Joseph Winslow (1) | 6 |
| 22 Jul | Qingdao Championship | Shandong | 1,500,000 | Yuan Yechun (1) | 6 |
| 29 Jul | Beijing Championship | Beijing | 1,500,000 | Peter Campbell (1) | 6 |
| 2 Sep | Suzhou Open | Jiangsu | 1,500,000 | Richard Jung (1) | 6 |
| 9 Sep | Qinhuangdao Championship | Hebei | 1,500,000 |  Nick Voke (1) | 6 |
| 30 Sep | Macau Championship | Macau | 1,500,000 | Nick Voke (2) | 6 |
| 7 Oct | Zhuhai Championship | Guangdong | 1,500,000 | Kevin Techakanokboon (1) | 6 |
| 14 Oct | Clearwater Bay Open | Hong Kong | 2,000,000 | Nick Voke (3) | 6 |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Renminbi.[15] The top five players on the tour earned status to play on the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour.[15]
| Position | Player | Prize money (CN¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Callum Tarren | 1,094,600 |
| 2 | Charlie Saxon | 1,092,224 |
| 3 | Nick Voke | 987,500 |
| 4 | Yuwa Kosaihira | 732,832 |
| 5 | Todd Baek | 660,700 |
2016 season
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 2016 season.[16]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (CN¥) | Winner[lower-alpha 4] | OWGR points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May | St. Andrews Henan Open | Henan | 1,200,000 | Dou Zecheng (1) | 6 |
| 29 May | United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open | Hubei | 1,200,000 | Dou Zecheng (2) | 6 |
| 5 Jun | Cadillac Championship | Sichuan | 1,200,000 | Alexander Kang (1) | 6 |
| 12 Jun | Lanhai Open | Shanghai | 1,200,000 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Rohan Blizard (1) | 6 |
| 26 Jun | Sunning Estate Nanjing Zhongshan Open | Jiangsu | 1,200,000 | Dou Zecheng (3) | 6 |
| 3 Jul | Ping An Private Bank Wanda Open | Jilin | 1,200,000 | Kim Tae-woo (1) | 6 |
| 4 Sep | Yulongwan Yunnan Open | Yunnan | 1,200,000 | Dou Zecheng (4) | 6 |
| 11 Sep | Chongqing Jiangnan NewTown KingRun Open | Chongqing | 1,200,000 |  Gunn Charoenkul (2) | 7 |
| 18 Sep | Pingan Bank Open | Beijing | 1,200,000 | Charlie Saxon (1) | 7 |
| 6 Nov | Clearwater Bay Open | Hong Kong | 1,200,000 | Daniel Nisbet (1) | 7 |
| 13 Nov | Putian Open | Fujian | 1,200,000 | Kim Tae-woo (2) | 7 |
| 20 Nov | Zhuhai Hengqin Phoenix Tree Open | Guangdong | 1,200,000 | Charlie Saxon (2) | 7 |
| 27 Nov | Buick Open | Guangdong | 1,200,000 | Zhang Huilin (2) | 7 |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Renminbi.[17] The top five players on the tour earned status to play on the 2017 Web.com Tour.
| Position | Player | Prize money (CN¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dou Zecheng | 1,144,350 |
| 2 | Charlie Saxon | 871,395 |
| 3 | Alexander Kang | 597,575 |
| 4 | Kim Tae-woo | 578,886 |
| 5 | Zhang Xinjun | 504,675 |
2015 season
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 2015 season.[18]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (CN¥) | Winner[lower-alpha 4] | OWGR points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr | Buick Open | Hainan | 1,200,000 | Josh Geary (1) | 6 |
| 17 May | Eternal Courtyard Open | Henan | 1,200,000 |  Chan Shih-chang (1) | 6 |
| 24 May | United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open | Hubei | 1,200,000 | Shin Yong-gu (1) | 6 |
| 31 May | Lanhai Open | Shanghai | 1,200,000 | Josh Geary (2) | 6 |
| 13 Sep | Pingan Bank Open | Beijing | 1,200,000 | Eugene Wong (1) | 6 |
| 27 Sep | Cadillac Championship | Beijing | 1,200,000 | Bryden Macpherson (1) | 6 |
| 4 Oct | Yulongwan Yunnan Open | Yunnan | 1,200,000 | Josh Geary (3) | 6 |
| 11 Oct | Lushan Open | Jiangxi | 1,200,000 | Bryden Macpherson (2) | 6 |
| 18 Oct | Chongqing Jiangnan NewTown KingRun Open | Chongqing | 1,200,000 | Zhang Xinjun (2) | 6 |
| 22 Nov | Nine Dragons Open | Zhejiang | 1,200,000 | Chao Haimeng (1) | 6 |
| 29 Nov | Hainan Open | Hainan | 1,200,000 | Zhang Huilin (1) | 6 |
| 6 Dec | Capital Airline – HNA Real Estate Championship | Guangdong | 1,200,000 | He Zeyu (1) | 7 |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Renminbi.[19] The top five players on the tour earned status to play on the 2016 Web.com Tour.[20]
| Position | Player | Prize money (CN¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryden Macpherson | 769,960 |
| 2 | Josh Geary | 747,230 |
| 3 | Zhang Xinjun | 545,046 |
| 4 | Dou Zecheng | 483,813 |
| 5 | Eugene Wong | 454,768 |
2014 season
Schedule
The following table lists official events during the 2014 season.[21]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (CN¥) | Winner[lower-alpha 4] | OWGR points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr | Mission Hills Haikou Open | Hainan | 1,200,000 | Wang Jeung-hun (1) | 6 |
| 4 May | Buick Open | Guangdong | 1,200,000 | Sam Chien (1) | 6 |
| 18 May | United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open | Hubei | 1,200,000 | Brett Drewitt (1) | 6 |
| 8 Jun | Lanhai Open | Shanghai | 1,200,000 | David McKenzie (1) | 6 |
| 15 Jun | Earls Beijing Open | Beijing | 1,200,000 | Zhang Xinjun (1) | 6 |
| 10 Aug | Yulongwan Yunnan Open | Yunnan | 1,200,000 | Gunn Charoenkul (1) | 6 |
| 7 Sep | Chateau Junding Penglai Open | Shandong | 1,200,000 | Todd Baek (1) | 6 |
| 14 Sep | Cadillac Championship | Beijing | 1,200,000 | David McKenzie (2) | 6 |
| 28 Sep | Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open | Henan | 1,200,000 | Li Haotong (1) | 6 |
| 16 Nov | Nine Dragons Open | Zhejiang | 1,200,000 | Jin Cheng (a) (1) | 6 |
| 23 Nov | Hainan Open | Hainan | 1,200,000 | Li Haotong (2) | 6 |
| 30 Nov | CTS Tycoon Championship | Guangdong | 1,200,000 | Li Haotong (3) | 6 |
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in Renminbi.[22] The top five players on the tour earned status to play on the 2015 Web.com Tour.[23]
| Position | Player | Prize money (CN¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Li Haotong | 967,788 |
| 2 | Zhang Xinjun | 650,600 |
| 3 | Brett Drewitt | 585,196 |
| 4 | Sam Chien | 573,951 |
| 5 | Todd Baek | 535,920 |
Order of Merit winners
| Year | Winner | Prize money (CN¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Max McGreevy | 974,153 |
| 2018 | Callum Tarren | 1,094,600 |
| 2016 | Dou Zecheng | 1,144,350 |
| 2015 | Bryden Macpherson | 769,960 |
| 2014 | Li Haotong | 967,788 |
Notes
- Schedules have included events in Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand.
- The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of PGA Tour China events they had won up to and including that tournament. It is rare for someone to accumulate many wins on the PGA Tour China as success at this level usually leads to promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour.
- Cancelled due to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.[12]
- The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of PGA Tour China events they had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for PGA Tour China members. It is rare for someone to accumulate many wins on the PGA Tour China as success at this level usually leads to promotion to the Web.com Tour.
References
- "PGA Tour's China Series delayed due to issues". ESPN. Associated Press. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "PGA Tour China ready to launch in 2018". PGA Tour. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "PGA Tour to be part of new circuit in China". Golf Channel. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "China Tour-PGA Tour China Series Announces First Portion of 2014 Schedule and Two Qualifying Sites". PGA Tour China. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- Livsey, Laury (17 April 2014). "Zhang Makes History by Hitting First Tee Shot on PGA Tour China Series". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- "PGA Tour China secures first title sponsor". Sport Business Sponsorship. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- McCullagh, Kevin (10 January 2020). "PGA Tour Series-China 2020 calendar revealed". Sport Business. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- Stafford, Ali (11 March 2020). "Coronavirus: PGA Tour-Series China postpones four more events". Sky Sports. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "Officials cancel the 2020 PGA Tour Series-China season". PGA Tour. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- Williams, Julie (9 July 2020). "Report: China cancels all 2020 sports events, including two golf events". Golfweek. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "2019 Tournament schedule". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "PGA Tour cancels China Series' Hong Kong event". ESPN. Associated Press. 23 September 2019.
- "McGreevy takes Order of Merit title as four others will join him on 2020 Korn Ferry Tour". PGA Tour. 14 October 2019. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "2018 Tournament schedule". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "Tarren wins Order of Merit title, four others join him as PGA Tour Series-China players ready for the 2019 Web.com Tour". PGA Tour. 14 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "赛事日程表" [2016 Tournament schedule] (in Chinese). PGA Tour China. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "奖金榜" [2016 Order of Merit] (in Chinese). PGA Tour China. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "赛事日程表" [2015 Tournament schedule] (in Chinese). PGA Tour China. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "2015 Order of Merit". China Tour. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "North Vancouver's Eugene Wong Earns 2016 Web.com Tour Membership". British Columbia Golf. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "2014 Tournament schedule". China Tour. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "2014 Order of Merit". China Tour. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- "港中旅聚豪冠军赛完美落幕 李昊桐豪夺两连冠 封王奖金榜" [The Hong Kong CTS Tycoon Championship ended perfectly, Li Haotong won two consecutive championships and won the king prize list] (in Chinese). PGA Tour China. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2023.