Clearwater Bay – photo Bruce Young
Due to continued demonstrations, civil unrest and safety concerns in Hong Kong, PGA TOUR Series-China is canceling the 2019 Clearwater Bay Open scheduled for October 17-20 at Hong Kong’s Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club.
The 2019 PGA TOUR Series-China season will now conclude at the Macau Championship, October 10-13, at Caesars Golf Macau.
“The safety of our players, staff, fans, volunteers and everybody else associated with our tournaments is always at the forefront of anything we do,” said PGA TOUR Series-China Executive Director Greg Carlson. “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.
“We wanted to play a 14-tournament schedule, but it was extremely difficult to secure an alternative venue at such short notice. We looked at a variety of options but were unable to find a suitable site and situation,” Carlson continued.
“Macau is a vibrant part of Asia, and we had a tremendous experience there in 2018 on our first visit to Caesars Golf Macau. While we’re disappointed we can’t finish our season in Hong Kong, we are excited that Caesars Golf Macau will be where we end our year. Because of this late change, we have also increased the purse at the Macau Championship from RMB 1.6 million to 2.1 million.”
In 2018, New Zealand’s Nick Voke won the inaugural Macau Championship, defeating Sluman by two shots. It was the second of three titles Voke won a year ago.
PGA TOUR Series-China has played two official tournaments at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club—in 2016 and 2018—and an unofficial event in 2017 and has every intent to return to the club in 2020 and beyond.
“The leaders and members at Clearwater Bay have been very accommodating through the years, and the club has been a great partner. We look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come,” said Carlson.
On Sunday, September 22, PGA TOUR Series-China concluded its 12th tournament of the 2019 season, with Motin Yeung winning the Zhuzhou Classic. American Max McGreevy continues to lead the Order of Merit, with four players—McGreevy, Trevor Sluman, David Kocher and Luke Kwon—still in the running for the money title and Player of the Year honors.
