The WGC-HSBC Champions was a professional golf tournament, held annually in China. Inaugurated in 2005, the first seven editions were played at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, then moved to the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen for a single year in 2012. It returned to Sheshan Golf Club in 2013.

WGC-HSBC Champions
Tournament information
LocationShanghai, China
Established2005
Course(s)Sheshan Golf Club
Par72
Length7,261 yards (6,639 m)
Organized byInternational Federation of PGA Tours
Tour(s)PGA Tour
European Tour
Asian Tour
Sunshine Tour
PGA Tour of Australasia
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$10,500,000
Month playedOctober
Final year2019
Tournament record score
Aggregate264 Dustin Johnson (2013)
To par−24 as above
Final champion
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy
Location map
Sheshan Golf Club is located in China
Sheshan Golf Club
Sheshan Golf Club
Location in China
Sheshan Golf Club is located in Shanghai
Sheshan Golf Club
Sheshan Golf Club
Location in Shanghai

Since 2009, it was a World Golf Championship event. Played in November, it was the fourth tournament on the WGC calendar along with the WGC-Dell Match Play, the WGC-Mexico Championship, and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational events, all in North America.[1] The field consists primarily of players who have won the top rated tournaments since the previous WGC-HSBC tournament, supplemented by other leading players in the world rankings and money lists of the major tours.

The WGC-HSBC Champions had the highest prize money in East Asia. Originally in 2005, it was US$5 million, and grew to $7 million when it obtained WGC status in 2009, $8.5 million in 2013 and in 2019, the prize money was $10.25 million. Only the CIMB Classic, CJ Cup, Zozo Championship and BMW Masters have had similar purses in the region.

Field

edit

2005–2008

edit

Originally, the event was sanctioned by four —the European, the Asian, and Sunshine Tours and the PGA Tour of Australasia— of the six constituent tours of International Federation of PGA Tours at that time. Invitations were issued to all players placed amongst the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Also invited were players who had, during the calendar year preceding the event, captured at least one tournament title on a sanctioning tour, or had finished the preceding season amongst the top twenty in the European Tour's Race to Dubai (the Order of Merit standings through 2008) or amongst the top five in the Order of Merit standings of any of the other three sanctioning tours. Players who had finished first in the Order of Merit standings in any of three developmental tours—the Von Nida and Challenge Tours and the winter swing of the Sunshine Tour—were also invited. Finally, starting berths were also reserved for eight Chinese amateur and professional players to be selected by tournament organizers and sponsors, whether by qualifying tournament or not.

2009: Elevated to WGC status

edit

The event became a World Golf Championship in 2009 on the European Tour. The field consists primarily of winners of the most important tournaments around the world since the previous WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. Each of the six member tours are allocated a certain number of tournaments from their tour (from 4 to 20), although these tournament must meet a minimum entry requirement. Co-sanctioned tournaments are assigned to one tour only.

The tournaments are ranked using the Official World Golf Ranking strength of field ("total event ranking"). Tournaments must have a minimum event ranking of 40. The ranking is based on the previous year's event ranking so that the list of qualifying events can be determined in advance. New events can be included if they are expected to have an event ranking of at least 40.

Further players gain entry through their position in the current seasons Order of Merit. Six players from China are selected while any player ranked in the world top 50 is also given an entry. If the field size is less than 78, further entries are selected from winners of additional tournaments not already considered, players ranked outside the world top 50, and the players further down the Order of Merit lists.

The tournament was the second event of the European Tour Final Series from 2013 to 2015.

Current qualifications

edit

The current qualification categories are as follows:[2]

  1. Winners of the four major championships and The Players Championship
  2. Winners of the four World Golf Championships
  3. Top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of two weeks prior the start of the event
  4. Top 30 available players from the final FedEx Cup Points List (if less than 5 players are available, players from position 31 or lower will be selected to fill in)
  5. Top 30 available players from the Race to Dubai Ranking as of one week prior the start of the event
  6. Top 4 available players from the Asian Tour ad hoc qualifying ranking
  7. Top 2 available players from the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit as of one week prior the start of the event
  8. Top 2 available players from the final PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
  9. Top 2 available players from the final Sunshine Tour Order of Merit
  10. Six players from China
  11. Alternates

PGA Tour status

edit

From 2009 to 2012 the WGC-HSBC Champions was an unofficial money event on the PGA Tour, meaning that prize money did not count towards the PGA Tour money list or Fed-Ex Cup points standings. Since 2010, victories have counted as official wins for PGA Tour members, and as such Phil Mickelson's victory in 2009 is not counted as an official win. During this time only Ian Poulter (2012) was a PGA Tour member at the time of his win; Martin Kaymer (2011) and Francesco Molinari (2010) did not join the tour until 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Since 2013, the WGC-HSBC Champions has been an official PGA Tour event, with the winner receiving a three-year exemption on the tour.[3]

Winners

edit
World Golf Championship 2009–2012, 2016–2019
World Golf Championship and European Tour (Race to Dubai finals series) 2013–2015
European Tour (Regular) 2005–2008
# Year Tour(s)[a] Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
(US$)
Winner's
share ($)
Venue Ref.
WGC-HSBC Champions
2022 EUR, PGAT Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [4]
2021 EUR, PGAT [5]
2020 EUR, PGAT [6]
15th 2019 EUR, PGAT   Rory McIlroy 269 −19 Playoff   Xander Schauffele 10,250,000 1,745,000 Sheshan
14th 2018 EUR, PGAT   Xander Schauffele 274 −14 Playoff   Tony Finau 10,000,000 1,700,000 Sheshan
13th 2017 EUR, PGAT   Justin Rose 274 −14 2 strokes   Dustin Johnson
  Brooks Koepka
  Henrik Stenson
9,750,000 1,660,000 Sheshan
12th 2016 EUR, PGAT   Hideki Matsuyama 265 −23 7 strokes   Daniel Berger
  Henrik Stenson
9,500,000 1,620,000 Sheshan
11th 2015 EUR, PGAT   Russell Knox 268 −20 2 strokes   Kevin Kisner 8,500,000 1,400,000 Sheshan
10th 2014 EUR, PGAT   Bubba Watson 277 −11 Playoff   Tim Clark 8,500,000 1,400,000 Sheshan
9th 2013 EUR, PGAT   Dustin Johnson 264 −24 3 strokes   Ian Poulter 8,500,000 1,400,000 Sheshan [7]
8th 2012 EUR, PGAT[b]   Ian Poulter 267 −21 2 strokes   Jason Dufner
  Ernie Els
  Phil Mickelson
  Scott Piercy
7,000,000 1,200,000 Mission Hills [8]
7th 2011 EUR, PGAT[b]   Martin Kaymer 268 −20 3 strokes   Freddie Jacobson 7,000,000 1,200,000 Sheshan [9]
6th 2010 EUR, PGAT[b]   Francesco Molinari 269 −19 1 stroke   Lee Westwood 7,000,000 1,200,000 Sheshan [10]
5th 2009 EUR, PGAT[c]   Phil Mickelson (2) 271 −17 1 stroke   Ernie Els 7,000,000 1,200,000 Sheshan [11]
HSBC Champions
4th 2008 AFR,[d] ANZ,[d] ASA,[d] EUR   Sergio García 274 −14 Playoff   Oliver Wilson 5,000,000 833,300 Sheshan [12]
3rd 2007 AFR,[d] ANZ,[d] ASA,[d] EUR   Phil Mickelson 278 −10 Playoff   Ross Fisher
  Lee Westwood
5,000,000 833,300 Sheshan [13]
2nd 2006 AFR,[d] ANZ,[d] ASA,[d] EUR   Yang Yong-eun 274 −14 2 strokes   Tiger Woods 5,000,000 833,300 Sheshan [14]
1st 2005 AFR,[d] ANZ,[d] ASA,[d] EUR   David Howell 268 −20 3 strokes   Tiger Woods 5,000,000 833,300 Sheshan [15]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ AFR − Sunshine Tour; ANZ − PGA Tour of Australasia; ASA − Asian Tour; EUR − European Tour; PGAT − PGA Tour.
  2. ^ a b c Between 2010–2012, wins were only counted as official PGA Tour wins if the winner was a member of the tour. Ian Poulter fulfilled this criterion, whereas Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari did not.
  3. ^ The 2009 event was an unofficial PGA Tour event, therefore Mickelson's win is only considered official on the European Tour.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Between 2005–2008 the event was sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, however it was an unofficial money event; therefore the win is considered unofficial on those tours.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Asian event joins elite WGC list". BBC Sport. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  2. ^ "World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions: Qualifying Criteria 2019". HSBC Golf. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. ^ "HSBC Champions added as official PGA Tour event". wkyc.com. 4 November 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  4. ^ Hibbitt, James (6 July 2022). "World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions Cancelled For 2022". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  5. ^ Harig, Bob (31 August 2021). "PGA may ban fans for 'Brooksy' taunts in wake of Bryson Dechambeau-Brooks Koepka drama". ESPN.
  6. ^ "HSBC Champions in Shanghai officially canceled amid pandemic". ESPN. Associated Press. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  7. ^ "WGC-HSBC Champions: Dustin Johnson claims Shanghai win". BBC Sport. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  8. ^ "Ian Poulter wins WGC Champions after Lee Westwood fades". BBC Sport. 4 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Germany's Martin Kaymer win WGC Champions title in Shanghai". BBC Sport. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Francesco Molinari claims HSBC crown". ESPN. Associated Press. 7 November 2010.
  11. ^ Ferguson, Doug (9 November 2009). "Mickelson's heroics net wild 1-shot win". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  12. ^ "Garcia beats Wilson in Shanghai". BBC Sport. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Mickelson wins HSBC Champions tournament". The New York Times. 11 November 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  14. ^ "Yang beats major champions and claims biggest career win". Asian Golf Today. 12 November 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Howell holds off Woods for title". BBC Sport. 13 November 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
edit

31°06′32″N 121°12′58″E / 31.109°N 121.216°E / 31.109; 121.216