By Rahul Banerji
The 2022 edition of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions will not be held in China as scheduled, the PGA Tour has said.
The PGA Tour, on behalf of the Federation of PGA Tours, HSBC and IMG said the 2022 event had been cancelled after a decision taken with the China Golf Association due to Covid-related restrictions.
“We have worked with all Tours, as well as the China Golf Association, on the viability of hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions this fall, but unfortunately the logistical implications forced the difficult decision to cancel the event,” said tour senior vice-president, International, Christian Hardy.
“We are thankful for HSBC’s partnership during these trying times as we continue to navigate the changing COVID-19 climate,” a statement quoted him as saying
With the cancellation of the WGC-HSBC Champions, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship will be played as a stand-alone event with full FedEx Cup points and a purse of $6.5 million.
The tournament returns to Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, from October 24 to 30.
Open purse bumped up
Meanwhile, The Open Championship has upped its purse for next week’s tournament by 22% to $14 million.
Besides adding his name to the list of champions at St. Andrews, the winner of the Claret Jug ill win $2.5 million.
The runner-up at St. Andrews will earn $1.4 million, while the third-place finisher will take away $933,000.
The top six finishers will all earn more than $500,000 and the top 28 will earn at least $100,000.
If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. The purse will decrease by $125 per qualifying place after 70 to a minimum of $30,950.
Players who miss the cut will be paid between $7,000 and $10,500, depending on their finishing position.
The China event has not been played since the pandemic with Rory McIlroy beating Xander Schauffele in a playoff in Shanghai.
The Players Championship offered a record $20 million this year. The Masters and PGA Championship had $15 million on offer this year, while the US Open awarded $17.5 million.
Clearly the continuing pull of the LIV Invitational series is continuing to have an effect on decisions made by the other, existing pro golf tours
Also read: Golf tourism on the upswing as Covid restrictions ease further
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