The schedule of the inaugural PGA Tour China Series season was announced Tuesday in Haikou, capital of South China's Hainan Province. It will kick off with the Haikou Open, a 72-hole event at Sandbelt Trails Course, which starts Thursday and culminates Sunday.
A total of five tournaments will take place before a summer break in the middle of June. After a nearly two-month hiatus, the schedule will resume in August in Yunnan Province, and conclude its maiden year in Shenzhen in December after another six events.
"It is a milestone for Chinese golf. For those golf events which are held in China, this is a brand-new model," Sun Liping, president of China Olympic Sports Industry, promoter of the event, said of the cooperation with the PGA.
"Based on the eight years of operating the Chinese Golf League, I'm confident the China Series will be a success," Sun told reporters. "With its international, professional standards, it will provide a platform for our home players to compete with numerous elite players from abroad, helping them to step up to the world stage."
The Haikou Open will witness some 120 players compete for the top five berths, which would bring them world ranking points. The points are the way for players to make the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which means Chinese athletes can now earn points on home soil rather than competing abroad.
Veteran golfer Zhang Lianwei, a trailblazer for Chinese golf, said it's "totally different" when making a comparison between the year when he started and the current era.
"It's totally different. It was likely a dream 20 years ago for a Chinese golfer to play in a PGA event in the US, but now the PGA comes to China," Zhang told a news conference on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old also expected more Chinese players to compete in the professional event.
"Having played in many places in the world, playing on home soil makes me more comfortable ... This is a better platform for us golfers," Zhang said.
But the 2010 China Tour winner admitted that while it is beneficial for the youth to compete in such events, they face a steep mountain to climb.
"I expect more young players to advance to the next round from the very bottom of my heart, but I think after two days of playing, the guys I see would be some elder ones."
The renowned golfer also said while a busy year may prevent him from participating in every single event of the China Series, he would surely be at the year-ending event in Shenzhen.