PGA Tour Likely To Name China As Host Of Fourth WGC Event

By Jon Show, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

The PGA Tour is expected to announce in the coming weeks that HSBC has agreed to turn its tournament in China into a fourth World Golf Championship, according to sources with knowledge of the plan. All four rounds will likely air on Golf Channel. Terms of the sponsorship and a date for the event could not be determined. PGA Tour and HSBC officials declined to comment. A source said the London-based financial institution spent about 10 million euros (US$15.85M) to sponsor the HSBC Champions and HSBC Women’s Champions. The men’s event was sanctioned by the European, Asian, Sunshine and Australasia Tours starting in '05 and attracted the likes of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods to its early November date.