Mission Hils Boss Defends Duel At Jinsha Lake Between Woods, McIlroy

Despite "outlandish scenes" at the "Duel at Jinsha Lake" between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy last week in China, Mission Hills Golf Club Chair & CEO Ken Chu said such events were "fine" as they helped raise the profile of golf in China, according to the AFP. Chu also "played down the need for more domestic tournaments" after China's two best golfers --Wu Ashun and Liang Wenchong -- "voiced concerns over a lack of playing opportunities." Last week's "Duel" in Zhengzhou was "met with bemusement and guffaws by golf aficionados" after fans invaded the practice range and fairways, helicopters were parked next to greens and models in evening wear posed at the tees. Chu refused to criticize the event, which is "following a path laid out by Mission Hills when it hosted Woods at an exhibition in '01," his first appearance in China. Chu: "Players don't necessarily play in all the tournaments on a weekly basis, they do want some time off -- and they do want to make some side money" (AFP, 11/5).