THE TCL Classic, China’s first US$1 million golf tournament, will be held from November 14 to 17 at the Harbour Plaza Golf Club in Dongguan, Guangdong.

　“The TCL Classic will be the richest and biggest tournament in China and will provide a wonderful opportunity for China’s professional golfers to play in a world-class event with two of the finest players in the game, John Daly and Colin Montgomerie,” Wan Mingjian, director of TCL Corporation, said in Shenzhen yesterday.Last year, TCL sponsored the Hong Kong Open, its first involvement with professional golf.

　Prior to the announcement of the TCL Classic, the total prize money for the year on the Davidoff Tour reached US$ 9.7 million. With the addition of the TCL Classic, the Tour will exceed US$10 million for the first time in its eight-year history.

　China hosted the World Cup of Golf in 1995, which played an important part in the development of the game in the country.The TCL Classic is expected to be another landmark tournament that will give a massive boost to the sport in China.

　“The potential exists for tournament golf to really take off in China and the TCL Classic may well mark the start of a wonderful series of Davidoff Tour events in the country,” said Ramlan Haron, executive director of Asian Professional Golf Association.