Spectacular Greater Bay Pro Challenge Kicks Off Foshan Open Week
2019-10-22 09:58:17

Foshan Open week got off to a thrilling start on Tuesday afternoon with some spectacular shotmaking in the 9+2 Greater Bay Pro Challenge held at Foshan Golf Club's special 19th hole. In what was dubbed ‘The Best Versus The Best", a formidable line-up of three former champions faced off against a team of three former winners of Foshan Open's Best Chinese Player award.

The Champions Team was made up of 2015 champion, Borja Virto from Spain, 2016 champion, Marcus Armitage from England and 2017 champion, Oliver Farr from Wales. Making up the Best Chinese Player Team were Zhang Huilin who won in both 2015 and 2017, local favourite Chen Zihao, winner in 2016 and Luo Xuewen, 2018 winner.

Situated in front of Foshan Golf Club's majestic clubhouse, the 19th hole is just 88 yards long set in an attractive landscape of rocks, water, trees and flowering shrubs between tee and green. Two circles, one nine feet and the other two feet in diameter, representing the 11 cities of the Greater Bay Area, were painted on the green. Shots finishing within the nine feet circle were given nine points, two points for within two feet and zero for a hole-in-one, so the team with the lowest score would be declared the winner.

Promoted as a fun event to highlight China's exciting new Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Initiative, the large gathering of guests joked and laughed with the pros but nevertheless were treated to a seriously breathtaking display of skill as the teams rose to the occasion, peppering the 9+2 circles with their tee shots.

In the end, the Best Chinese Player Team triumphed with a score of 111 points to 117 points for the Champions Team. Foshan Open sponsor, Huawei Device Co., Ltd. Foshan Region, presented each of the winners with a Huawei Pro 30 mobile phone with each member of the runner-up team receiving a Huawei watch.

“What a fantastic and fun start to Foshan Open week's activities," said Julian Small, General Manager of Foshan Golf Club. “I think everyone here is still breathless from the excitement as the teams not only hammed it up with the guests but played some absolutely sublime shots. I'm sure we'd all like to give a very big thank you to Huawei Device Co., Ltd. Foshan Region for their sponsorship and the teams for giving us such an entertaining and exciting Greater Bay Pro Challenge and wish them all the best for the Foshan Open which runs from this Thursday through Sunday. With good weather forecast for the week, we anticipate big crowds coming to watch over the weekend.”