Winners of the 2015 Hainan Open take a group photo with representatives from the Hainan provincial government and event sponsors. Photo: Courtesy of the 2015 Hainan Open

The 2015 Hainan Open of the Ping An Bank China Tour - PGA Tour China series closed on November 29 with Chinese player Zhang Huilin winning first place after four days of fierce competition. Zhang received 216,000 yuan ($32,487) in prize money as well as a special souvenir from the Hainan Open - a champion golf bag provided by Helix, a company that manufactures golf products. This was the first PGA championship of Zhang's career.

It was not an easy win for Zhang, as the Sanya Dragon Valley Golf Club Course, where the open was held, was affected by strong winds all four days. The players ended up neck-and-neck after the second day, with the top-ranking players separated by minor score differences. In the final round, the competition went white-hot, but Zhang ended up winning after 286 shots thanks to his excellent performance and steady state of mind. The second-place winner, Yuan Tian, also came from China and lost by only one shot. 

"Winning the Hainan Open is a great honor, and a great reward after my years of efforts," said Zhang. "I must have improved very fast, as I did much better than I expected this year."

The Hainan Open was organized by the Hainan provincial government, the Multi-Ball Games Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sport and the China Golf Association.

Promoted by Shanghai Goldenpro Organization, the Hainan Open has become a top sporting event in China. Goldenpro relies on media and sponsorships to help bring golf into mainstream culture.

Among the competition's sponsors was mineral water company 5100 Tibet Spring, which has long supported the event. Vice Manager of 5100 Tibet Spring Tong Li said that the company's sponsorship of the event was linked to its positioning.

5100 Tibet Spring's products appeared on the market in 2006, and the first event that the company sponsored was a golf competition. 5100 Tibet Spring went on to sponsor a number of other domestic golf events, in large part because it felt that the sport's culture and values were well-matched with that of 5100 Tibet Spring's products.  

Discussing the points of integration between 5100 Tibet Spring's corporate culture and golf, Tong commented, "Golf is a sport based on competing with yourself. Every competition and every shot is about challenging yourself to do better. As a company, our challenge is to continuously work toward new innovations. 5100 Tibet Spring would like to grow with golf in China because of this shared spirit."

The Hainan provincial government has also focused heavily on supporting the development of golf as part of its efforts to build itself into an island that draws international tourism. The island hopes to build itself into a golf tourism attraction in China and golf tourism destination in the world. It is a good match - Hainan's natural beauty makes it perfect for creating excellent golf courses, which bodes well for the future of the Hainan Open.