Macau will succeed Hong Kong as host of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour Series-China, initially scheduled to take place on October 17-20 at Clearwater Bay Golf & country club in Hong Kong.
The information was provided by the PGA Tour organizers in Beijing.
According to the Associated Press, the executive director of PGA Tour Series-China, Greg Carlson, said that the event in Hong Kong had been canceled due to safety concerns as the region continues to face social turmoil for the fourth consecutive month.
“We have analyzed this situation from every angle, and as a group, we determined that canceling the 2019 Clearwater Bay Open is the best decision,” Carlson said on Monday.
At the time, Carlson noted that the tour was looking into alternative solutions for the event.
Macau comes as an easy choice, as the region has already some background and experience with such sports and the organization of events, having held several international level tournaments in the past few years in both the Caesars Golf Macau (in the surroundings of Cotai) and at the Macau Golf & Country Club in Coloane.
To attract players to join the event after the announcement of the cancellation, Carlson also added that the prize money will significantly increase from RMB1.6 million to a total of RMB2.1 million.
In addition to the changes of venue and prize money, the tournament will be held one week earlier than originally planned, from October 10 to 13.
The leading five players from the China tour earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour, the step below PGA Tour membership. Max McGreevy of the United States leads the money list in China.
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