Last week’s Masters saw Li Haotong step onto the world stage to make his debut as the first Chinese player at Augusta and get his name in the history books. Golf now looks to China’s upcoming tournament, the Volvo China Open, to further develop the sport in a country that has garnered more headlines with their rising professionals than ever before.

After making an impressive start in his first round at the Masters with six birdies for a three-under 69, Haotong, the highest-ranked Chinese male golfer ever at No. 42, made the cut in the first major of the year to finish at one-over and tie for 32nd place along with four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods and 37th-ranked Daniel Berger. His success on the legendary course, which has a reputation of welcoming rookies in a rude way, looks only to drive increased attention on the game in China.  

This month appears set to continue with golf at the forefront of the sport sector as the 24th Volvo China Open announced it will be held in Beijing at the prestigious Topwin Golf and Country Club for the third consecutive year. For the first time it will be tri-sanctioned between the China Golf Association, the European Tour and the Asian Tour, after an agreement was recently reached with the tournament’s stakeholders. 

The storied event will offer a lucrative prize purse of 20 million yuan (approximately 3.15 million US dollars) when it gets underway from April 26 to 29. The club, which opened in 2011, now ties the record set by Beijing International Golf Club for hosting the tournament on the most occasions in the northern China area.

Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Tour, Josh Burack, told CGTN Digital: “The Asian Tour is pleased to sanction the Volvo China Open together with the China Golf Association and the European Tour with whom we signed a strategic partnership and a strategic alliance in 2017 and 2016 respectively."

“The tournament has a proud 24-year history and is the national Open of China which makes it a very special tournament,” he added. 

Champions of the two previous events held at Topwin – Li Haotong and Alex Levy will be making much-anticipated appearances. Both players broke records with their victories that saw Li become the youngest winner of the tournament in 2016 and Levy the first player to take home the No.1 spot twice in 2014 and 2017. 

Victory at the China Open earned Li a two-year exemption to the European Tour, which saw the talented 22-year-old finish third at the British Open with a final-round 63 to set a historical mark and earn him a coveted place at the recently held Masters. Earlier this year, the rising star also became the first player from China to move inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings after coming out in front against four-time major winner Rory McIlroy at the Dubai Desert Classic.

Ben Cowen, Director of International Policy, European Tour, told CGTN Digital: “Li Haotong’s impressive victory at the Volvo China Open in 2016, an event held on the European Tour since 2005, in Beijing was a fantastic moment for Haotong and Chinese golf in general. As the tournament continues to go from strength-to-strength, I have no doubt he is eyeing another title in his hometown when he returns to Topwin Golf and Country Club.”

The star-studded lineup that also includes defending champion Alex Levy of France, six-time European Tour winner Joost Luiten from the Netherlands and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, will come together to battle it out at the Ian Woosnam-designed course, located in the shadow of China's Great Wall.

With the Asian Tour also co-sanctioning the event, there will be a strong challenge from Asia, including Thailand's number one Kiradech Aphibarnrat, as well as current Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings leader and European Tour Race to Dubai ranking number one Shubhankar Sharma of India.

“We look forward to watching Li Haotong and the other talented Chinese golfers take on in-form players Shubhankar Sharma, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and many other stars from the Asian Tour and European Tour,” Burack said to CGTN Digital. “The upcoming action at the Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club is going to be very exciting!”

Sven De Smet, chairman of the Volvo China Open Board, added: "Under the guidance of the China Golf Association, Chinese players have made amazing progress in international tournaments. Volvo is very happy to be able to create a platform for Chinese players to step onto the world stage and to help further develop China golf.”