Volvo China Open Players
The 2009 Volvo China Open, to be held in April at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club, will have a considerable prize fund of over US$2 million. The inaugural Volvo China Open on the Asian Tour debuted in 1995 with US$400,000 in the prize fund; nothing compared to todays large purse. With a growth of interest in Asian Tour golf events worldwide and with a substantial prize fund, Volvo China Open players for 2009 will include some of the top-notch golfers in the world.
The unparalleled explosion of golf in Asia, and specifically in China, has catapulted the event into the big leagues in terms of prize money. The 2007 winner, Markus Brier, took home a payout of over half a million US dollars (250 000) for his victory. While defending champion Damien Mcgrane took home a tidy 1,387,562 at the 2008 tournament.
It was the cosanctioning by the European Tour that was the trigger for the phenomenal growth of the event, putting the Volvo China Open firmly on the world stage and earning it mass international media coverage.
The final Volvo Open China players list for the 2009 event will be confirmed in March. Invited players include
- Top players in the European Tour Order of Merit
- Top-ranking players in the Asian Tour who’ve received the Order of Merit
- Sponsors choices
- Wild cards
- Winners of other major golfing events
- Pre-qualifiers
- Junior champions
The cream of Asian Tour players traditionally play in this event annually, hoping to capture a slice of the Volvo China Open prize money. Entries officially close two weeks before this tournament on the Asian Tour.
To make the tournament a truly open competition, there will be a number of qualifying events in the months leading up to the Volvo China Open. A number of places will be given to the top players in the qualifying events.
Event sponsor Volvo has demonstrated its commitment by sponsoring the Volvo Junior Open Championship. The champion of this event will gain automatic entry to the Volvo China Open.
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