[Shenzhen, China – 8 Jan 2018] Mission Hills China has announced its tournament schedule for 2018 in a year when the number of competitive rounds played by juniors since its golf development programme was established will exceed 100,000.

Highlights on the Mission Hills tournament schedule for 2018 include three of China’s highest-profile and longest-running junior events: the 8^th ANNIKA Invitational (April 25-27), the 11^th Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship (June 1-3) and the 13^th Faldo Series China Championship (July 6-8).  This trio of major tournaments offers not only valuable World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points but also the chance for young golfers to compete overseas in the company of three of the greats of the game.

In addition, the World Stars of Junior Golf Championship (April 6-8) returns after a successful launch in 2017 while the Mission Hills Junior Series enters its 9th year, climaxing with the Grand Final on November 16-18 – two more events with WAGR status.  The first leg of both the Mission Hills Junior Series and the par-3 Academy Series tee-off this month.

“We are grateful to our Olympic ambassadors Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, and Sir Nick Faldo, who have allowed us to create such a strong international platform for China’s junior golfers”, said Tenniel Chu, Group Vice-Chairman of Mission Hills.  “With further support from the China Golf Association, The R&A and the United States Golf Association, players such as Li Haotong, Jin Cheng and Guan Tianlang have been part of a breed of rising Chinese stars to have played more than 100,000 competitive rounds at Mission Hills.”

Dating back to 2006 when Mission Hills partnered with six-time Major champion Faldo to bring his world-renowned Faldo Series to China, the world’s largest golf club now boasts a golf development programme that combines more than 30 junior tournaments per year with expert tuition, clinics with star players, coaching programmes at local government schools and free access for juniors to three of its 22 courses.

Further collaborations with golfing legends Nicklaus and Sorenstam, plus the creation of the Mission Hills Junior Series and the Mission Hills Academy Series, have taken the number of tournament rounds played by juniors during a 12-year period close to 100,000, a number that will be topped during another record year in 2018.

Partnerships with the China Golf Association, The R&A and the USGA have also given the tournaments official ranking status at both national and international level.  In a further bid to promote the game to a new audience, Mission Hills opened the Dr David Chu Golf Museum in 2017, the first of its kind in China.

Photo caption: Annika Sorenstam during the 2017 ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills resort in Dongguan, China.  The 10-time Major Champion will return to Mission Hills to host the eighth edition of the all-girls championship on April 25-27, 2018.