WGC-HSBC Champions

The WGC-HSBC Champions is 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.

For the women's golf tournament sponsored by HSBC, see HSBC Women's Champions.
HSBC Champions
Tournament information
LocationShanghai, China
Established2005, 15 years ago
WGC event since 2009
Course(s)Sheshan Golf Club
Par72
Length7,261 yards (6,639 m)
Tour(s)PGA Tour (since 2013)
European Tour (since 2005)
Asian Tour (since 2009)
FormatStroke play
Prize fund$10,250,000
Month playedOctober
Tournament record score
Aggregate264 Dustin Johnson (2013)
To par−24 Dustin Johnson (2013)
Current champion
Rory McIlroy
2019 WGC-HSBC Champions
Sheshan 
Golf Club
Location in China

Since 2009, it has been a World Golf Championships event. Played in November, it is 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 has the highest prize money in East Asia. Originally in 2005, it was US$5 million, and grew to US$7 million when it got WGC status in 2009, US$8.5 million in 2013 and as of 2019, the prize money is US$10.25 million. Only the CIMB Classic, CJ Cup, Zozo Championship and BMW Masters have had similar purses in the region.

Field

2005–2008

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.

WGC event 2009

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

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

From 2010 to 2012 this was an unofficial money event on the PGA Tour. This meant that money won did not count towards the PGA Tour money list. However, wins during this period counted as official PGA Tour wins if the player was a member of the tour, which only Ian Poulter was.

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

Winners
World Golf Championship including official PGA Tour and European Tour status2016 onwards
World Golf Championship including official PGA Tour status and European Tour "Final Series" status2013–2015
World Golf Championship with unofficial[lower-alpha 1] PGA Tour status[lower-alpha 2] and official European Tour status2009–2012
European Tour, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, and Sunshine Tour event2005–2008
#YearDate
(Rd4)		WinnerCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upPurse ($)Winner's
share ($)		Ref
WGC-HSBC Champions
15th2019 Nov 3 Rory McIlroy  Northern Ireland Sheshan, Shanghai269−19Playoff Xander Schauffele10,250,0001,745,000
14th2018 Oct 28Xander Schauffele United States Sheshan, Shanghai274−14Playoff Tony Finau10,000,0001,700,000
13th2017 Oct 29Justin Rose England Sheshan, Shanghai274−142 strokes Dustin Johnson
Brooks Koepka
Henrik Stenson		9,750,0001,660,000
12th2016 Oct 30Hideki Matsuyama Japan Sheshan, Shanghai265−237 strokes Daniel Berger
Henrik Stenson		9,500,0001,620,000
11th2015 Nov 8Russell Knox Scotland Sheshan, Shanghai268−202 strokes Kevin Kisner8,500,0001,400,000
10th2014 Nov 9Bubba Watson United States Sheshan, Shanghai277−11Playoff Tim Clark8,500,0001,400,000
9th2013 Nov 3Dustin Johnson United States Sheshan, Shanghai264−243 strokes Ian Poulter8,500,0001,400,000[4]
8th2012 Nov 4Ian Poulter[lower-alpha 2] England Mission Hills, Shenzhen267−212 strokes Jason Dufner
Ernie Els
Phil Mickelson
Scott Piercy		7,000,0001,200,000[5]
7th2011 Nov 6Martin Kaymer Germany Sheshan, Shanghai268−203 strokes Fredrik Jacobson7,000,0001,200,000[6]
6th2010 Nov 7Francesco Molinari Italy Sheshan, Shanghai269−191 stroke Lee Westwood7,000,0001,200,000[7]
5th2009 Nov 8Phil Mickelson (2) United States Sheshan, Shanghai271−171 stroke Ernie Els7,000,0001,200,000[8]
HSBC Champions
4th2008 Nov 10Sergio García Spain Sheshan, Shanghai274−14Playoff Oliver Wilson5,000,000833,300[9]
3rd2007 Nov 11Phil Mickelson United States Sheshan, Shanghai278−10Playoff Ross Fisher
Lee Westwood		5,000,000833,300[10]
2nd2006 Nov 12Yang Yong-eun South Korea Sheshan, Shanghai274−142 strokes Retief Goosen
Tiger Woods		5,000,000833,300[11]
1st2005 Nov 13David Howell England Sheshan, Shanghai268−203 strokes Tiger Woods5,000,000833,300[12]
  1. Unofficial status means it was sanctioned by the tour, but did not form part of the official schedule, so wins and prize money were not official, and the event did not earn FedEx Cup points.
  2. From 2010–12, wins in the WGC-HSBC Champions were counted as official PGA Tour wins if the winner was a PGA Tour member. Ian Poulter fulfilled this criteria, Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari did not.

References
  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 extends sponsorship, joins FedExCup schedule in 2013". PGA Tour. 4 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  4. "WGC-HSBC Champions: Dustin Johnson claims Shanghai win". BBC Sport. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  5. "Ian Poulter wins WGC Champions after Lee Westwood fades". BBC Sport. 4 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  6. "Germany's Martin Kaymer win WGC Champions title in Shanghai". BBC Sport. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  7. "Francesco Molinari holds off challenge of new world No 1 Lee Westwood to win Champions title in Shanghai". Daily Mail. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  8. Ferguson, Doug (9 November 2009). "Mickelson's heroics net wild 1-shot win". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  9. "Garcia beats Wilson in Shanghai". BBC Sport. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  10. "Mickelson wins HSBC Champions tournament". The New York Times. 11 November 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  11. "Yang beats major champions and claims biggest career win". Asian Golf Today. 12 November 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  12. "Howell holds off Woods for title". BBC Sport. 13 November 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2011.

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