WGC-HSBC Champions

WGC-HSBC Champions

Company type	Sporting event
Industry	Golf tournament
Founded	2005
Headquarters	Shanghai , China
Area served	International
Products	Professional golf competition

The WGC-HSBC Champions was an annual professional golf competition hosted in China. Launched in 2005, its initial seven editions were held at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, shifted to Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen for the 2012 tournament, and then reverted back to Sheshan in 2013.

Beginning in 2009, the event became part of the World Golf Championship circuit. Scheduled each November, it served as the fourth WGC tournament alongside the WGC-Dell Match Play, WGC-Mexico Championship, and WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, all situated within North America. The participant roster primarily consisted of champions from top-tier events since the last WGC-HSBC Champions, complemented by leading competitors based on the world rankings and major tour earnings lists.

This tournament offered the largest prize fund in East Asia, beginning at US$5 million in its inaugural year, rising to $7 million upon acquiring WGC designation in 2009, increasing further to $8.5 million by 2013, and reaching $10.25 million by 2019. Comparable prize pools in the region include those of the CIMB Classic, CJ Cup, Zozo Championship, and BMW Masters.

2005–2008

At its inception, the event was officially recognized by four of the six tours affiliated with the International Federation of PGA Tours—namely the European Tour, Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour, and PGA Tour of Australasia. Invitations were extended to all golfers ranked within the top 50 of the OWGR. Additionally, players who had secured victories in tour events during the previous calendar year or finished within the top twenty of the European Tour's Race to Dubai (previously known as the Order of Merit through 2008), or placed among the top five on any of the other three tours' Order of Merit standings, were invited. Winners from developmental circuits such as the Von Nida Tour, Challenge Tour, and Sunshine Tour’s winter series also qualified. Furthermore, organizers or sponsors allocated eight entries to Chinese professionals or amateurs through qualification or selection processes.

2009: Elevated to WGC status

In 2009, this tournament was elevated to a World Golf Championship event on the European Tour. The field predominantly comprised champions from significant tournaments worldwide since the preceding WGC-HSBC Champions. Each of the six member tours received a designated number of tournaments (ranging from 4 to 20) that met minimum entry standards. Co-sanctioned tournaments were credited to only one tour.

Qualification for these tournaments depended on their "total event ranking," a measure derived from the strength of field according to the Official World Golf Ranking. A minimum event ranking threshold of 40 was required. This ranking was calculated using data from the prior year to identify qualifying events ahead of time, with new tournaments added if anticipated to meet this criterion.

Additional qualifiers included players based on their current season’s Order of Merit standings. Six Chinese players were granted spots, and any competitor ranked inside the world’s top 50 automatically gained entry. Should the field size fall below 78 participants, additional places were filled by winners of other tournaments, players outside the top 50, and those lower down on Order of Merit lists.

Between 2013 and 2015, this championship functioned as the second tournament within the European Tour Final Series.

Current eligibility criteria

The present eligibility requirements are as follows:

1. Champions of the four major championships and The Players Championship
2. Victors in the four World Golf Championships
3. Players ranked within the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking two weeks prior to the tournament
4. The top 30 available competitors from the final FedEx Cup Points List (with extension beyond 30 if necessary)
5. The leading 30 available players from the Race to Dubai standings one week before the event
6. The top 4 available players from the Asian Tour special qualifying list
7. The top 2 available players from the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit one week earlier
8. The leading 2 available players from the concluding PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
9. The top 2 available players from the final Sunshine Tour Order of Merit
10. Six participants representing China
11. Alternates as required

PGA Tour classification

Between 2009 and 2012, the WGC-HSBC Champions was classified as an unofficial money event on the PGA Tour, meaning earnings did not contribute to PGA Tour money rankings or FedEx Cup points. Starting in 2010, wins were recognized as official for PGA Tour members; however, Phil Mickelson's triumph in 2009 remains unofficial. During this timeframe, only Ian Poulter (2012) was a PGA Tour member when winning; both Martin Kaymer (2011) and Francesco Molinari (2010) became members subsequently.

From 2013 onward, it has been designated an official PGA Tour event, with champions receiving a three-year PGA Tour exemption.

Champions

	World Golf Championship	2009–2012, 2016–2019
	World Golf Championship and European Tour (Race to Dubai finals series)	2013–2015
	European Tour (Regular)	2005–2008

#	Year	Tour(s)	Winner	Score	To par	Victory margin	Runner(s)-up	Prize fund (US$)	Winner's earnings ($)	Venue
WGC-HSBC Champions
–	2022	EUR, PGAT	Event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
–	2021	EUR, PGAT	Cancelled owing to the pandemic |
–	2020	EUR, PGAT	Cancelled because of the pandemic |
15th	2019	EUR, PGAT	Template:Country data NIRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rory McIlroy	269	−19	Playoff	Xander Schauffele	10,250,000	1,745,000	Sheshan
14th	2018	EUR, PGAT	Xander Schauffele	274	−14	Playoff	Tony Finau	10,000,000	1,700,000	Sheshan
13th	2017	EUR, PGAT	Template:Country data ENGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Justin Rose	274	−14	Two strokes	Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Template:Country data SWETemplate:Namespace detect showall Henrik Stenson	9,750,000	1,660,000	Sheshan
12th	2016	EUR, PGAT	Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hideki Matsuyama	265	−23	Seven strokes	Daniel Berger, Template:Country data SWETemplate:Namespace detect showall Henrik Stenson	9,500,000	1,620,000	Sheshan
11th	2015	EUR, PGAT	Template:Country data SCOTemplate:Namespace detect showall Russell Knox	268	−20	Two strokes	Kevin Kisner	8,500,000	1,400,000	Sheshan
10th	2014	EUR,PGAT	Bubba Watson	277	−11	Playoff	Template:Country data ZAFTemplate:Namespace detect showallTim Clark	8,500,000	1,400,000	Sheshan

Dustin Johnson	264	−24	Three strokes	Template:Country data ENGTemplate:Namespace detect showallIan Poulter	8,500,000	1,400,000	Sheshan
Template:Country data ENGTemplate:Namespace detect showallIan Poulter	267	−21	Two strokes	Jason Dufner, Template:Country data ZAFTemplate:Namespace detect showallErnie Els, Phil Mickelson, Scott Piercy	7,000,000	1,200,000	Mission Hills
Martin Kaymer	268	−20	Three strokes	Template:Country data SWETemplate:Namespace detect showallFreddie Jacobson	7,000,000	1,200,000	Sheshan
Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showallFrancesco Molinari	269	−19	One stroke	Template:Country data ENGTemplate:Namespace detect showallLee Westwood	7,000,000	1,200,000	Sheshan
(2) Phil Mickelson	271	−17	One stroke	Template:Country data ZAFTemplate:Namespace detect showallErnie Els	(Unofficial PGA event)	7,000,000	(Unofficial)	Sheshan

External links

• Official website
• Coverage on the Asian Tour
• European Tour event details
• Information from the PGA Tour