Rose to Defend 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions

Defending champion Justin Rose has confirmed his participation in the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions taking place 25th to 28th October at Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai.

Crowd favourite, Haotong Li, will also be in Shanghai as China’s No.1 player to challenge the world’s best golfers, competing for an increased prize fund of US $10 million, as they battle for the title known as ‘Asia’s Major.’

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. With so much on offer, fans will be looking to take advantage of a special early bird ticket offer launched today with official ticketing partner, 247 Tickets.

Rose’s win at the WGC-HSBC Champions last October kick-started a remarkable run of form that has seen the Englishman rise from 13th on the Official World Golf Rankings to a current position of third, with every chance of reaching the number one spot in the coming weeks.

Olympic Gold Medallist Rose, who recovered an eight-shot deficit on the Sunday to triumph at last year’s WGC-HSBC Champions commented: “I can’t wait to get back to Shanghai. It was such an important week for me last year and it turned an ok year into an excellent one. The confidence I gained from coming from eight shots back in such a big tournament against such a world-class field really helped me finish off last year on a high and I have kept the momentum going ever since. I will feel very proud to stand on the first tee at Sheshan and be announced as the defending Champion.”

Li, a two-time winner on the European Tour, added: “I always look forward to playing in the WGC-HSBC Champions. It is such a big event and it is very special to play for such an important title against the best players in the world in front of my home fans. Winning Majors and World Golf Championships are definitely goals of mine so it would be amazing to be the first Chinese player to win a World Golf Championship and to actually do it in China.”

Peter Wong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, said of the announcement: “HSBC is proud to support this internationally renowned tournament and the growth of golf across Asia-Pacific. We are delighted that a world-class field of golfers will be on the course at Sheshan again this year and look forward to a compelling spectacle for the fans.”

Zhang Xiaoning, President of the China Golf Association concluded: “We are very excited about this year’s WGC-HSBC Champions as HSBC and IMG are working closely with us to help to grow the game in China. This year they have taken significant steps in making the tournament even more accessible to the public by lowering the ticket prices. There are also major enhancements to the spectator experience planned while, once again, the tournament will inspire by delivering the world’s best golfers to Shanghai.”

As part of an on-going initiative to grow the game of golf in China, organisers have launched early bird discounts with as much as 40% off regular ticket bundles with complimentary entry to all ticket holders during the Professional-Amateur competition on 24th October. Families and group purchases stand to enjoy even greater savings to ensure the event becomes more accessible to fans.