HAIKOU, 14 July 2016, (HK Golfer News Wire) - As the premiere gathering of the stars in a sporting environment in the Asia-Pacific region, the World Celebrity Pro-Am brings together 30 internationally famous celebrities from the world of sport and entertainment and pairs them with eight professional golfers over three days of competition that is fun for the participants, fans and all involved.
As with past years when top international stars have graced the field for the World Celebrity Pro-Am, the 2016 edition is no different. Among the early confirmations booked for Hainan Island are Academy Award-winning actor/producer Michael Douglas, superstar singer/actor Jay Chou, basketball giant Yao Ming and tennis great Boris Becker, the six-time Grand Slam winner.
From the pitch, Dutch legends the De Boer twins, Frank and Ronald, lead a group of a footballers that include England internationals Robbie Fowler, Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham, Liverpool great Ian Rush, Scotland’s Gary McAllister and former Manchester United stars Dwight Yorke, David May and Lee Sharpe.
The golfing greats lined-up to lead the way over the Mission Hills Haikou Blackstone Course include the legendary Gary Player, a nine-time Major winner, big-hitting John Daly, a two-time Major winner, Mark O’Meara, the Masters and Open Championship winner in 1998 and Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA Championship title holder.
They are joined by an equally impressive foursome of ladies in Solheim Cup star Suzann Pettersen, the Norwegian former World No. 2, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, runner-up at the recent US Women’s Open, American Paula Creamer, the 2010 US Women’s Open champion, and Natalie Gulbis, the glamour girl of the LPGA Tour who won the 2007 Evian Masters.
Much like the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and Alfred Dunhill Championship that for years has brought together celebrities from the world of sport and entertainment, the introduction of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am in 2010 filled that championship gap in Asia-Pacific, creating an indelible mark on China golf.
The all-star gala brings together acting and music stars from Hollywood, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China and the world at large, paired with sporting greats, to create an event that generates huge media interest around the globe each time it is staged.
