The PGA Tour has revealed it has plans to try and stage a Presidents Cup match in China within a decade.
PGA Tour exploring possibility of staging 2019 match in China
The PGA Tour has revealed it has plans to try and stage a Presidents Cup match in China within a decade in a bid to exploit the golf boom in the region.
The tournament, which features 12-man teams, sees America take on the Rest of the World (apart from Europe) in a match-play format every two years.
It is alternatively staged in the United States and countries represented by the International team and this year took place in San Francisco with America winning the contest 19½-14½.
Thus far a Chinese player has yet to play in the event but, given the rapid growth of the game in China, PGA Tour chief commissioner Tim Finchem is exploring the possibility of the country hosting the evnt in 2019.
"We agreed to look at, and over the next year and a half, do a feasibility on the pros of The Presidents Cup being staged in China in perhaps ten years' time," Finchem confirmed.
"This would become a goal of China to create players - one year before the second playing of golf in the Olympics - who can play at that level.
"I'm not sure that's possible, but we are in discussions over the next year as to how it could work, and we'll have more to say about that at a later date.
"I think I speak for all of the members of the Federation, and certainly the PGA Tour, when I say that we will do whatever is necessary and everything we can to help underpin that growth and increase the trajectory of growth in the years to come."
Realistic
Zhang Xiaonang, executive vice president and secretary general of the China Golf Association (CGA), is delighted by the PGA Tour's initiative and believes that 2019 is a realistic timeframe in which to bring the event to China.
"I'm very pleased to see Mr Finchem taking the initiative to bring more and more quality events over to China," he stated with reference to the fact that Shanghai's Sheshan Golf Club hosted last week's WGC-HSBC Champions event.
"And also, I would like to say thank you to Mr Finchem for trusting the CGA on having a proposal for The Presidents Cup in 2019 in China. We will welcome this tournament in China.
"By 2019, it will be China's 70-year anniversary. On the first of October it will be our national day, so if we can organise this event that would be a double meaningful event."
