August 4th, 2023, Shanghai – The Buick LPGA Shanghai is set to make an eagerly awaited return to Shanghai, China for the first time since 2019. From October 12th to 15th, this prestigious tournament will once again grace the fairways of the Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

As the first event of its kind to return after a three-year hiatus and the only international top-tier professional golf tournament to be hosted in China this year, the Buick LPGA Shanghai will attract the world's finest female golfers, marking the return of international golf to China.

With a total prize purse of $2.1 million, the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai is certified by both the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), recognized as the highest-level women's golf tour across the globe, and the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) and it’s reputation of being a family-friendly event, delivered to the highest quality, with devoted fans and leading golfers, has helped to establish it as one of the most prestigious women's golf events in Asia.

The 2019 Buick LPGA Shanghai, held in Shanghai, China, was a great success welcoming 81 world-class female golfers, representing 17 countries and regions. Among them were seven players ranked in the top 10 of the world rankings and 16 LPGA champions.

Chinese Talents to Compete on Home Soil

As China's women's golf national team prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics, this is an important year. The retirement of former world number one, Feng Shanshan, marked a transitional phase for the Chinese golfing contingent. In this year’s championship, Chinese female golfers will look to capitalize on the home advantage to help them secure the coveted qualification spots for the Paris Olympics.

Zhang Xiaoning, Chairman of the China Golf Association, expresses great expectations for the tournament, stating, "The 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai serves as a pivotal platform for the Chinese Golf National Team to sharpen their skills ahead of the Olympics. It will play a vital role for Chinese players to gain world ranking points and strengthen their competitive prowess."

He adds, "As the first Top-Tier golf tournament back to China after the pandemic, the Buick LPGA Shanghai will bolster international exchanges and attract more premier international events back, thereby increase the public's interest in golf as a sport."

In 2021, the Buick LPGA Shanghai was bestowed the prestigious "Shanghai Sports Developing Event" designation by the Shanghai Administration of Sports, strengthening its position as a benchmark event in Shanghai's pursuit to become an international sports event hub. With its generous purse and star-studded lineup, the Buick LPGA Shanghai has captured the attention not only of the women's golf world but also of the global sports community. This year, once again, the spotlight of sports enthusiasts worldwide will be firmly fixed on Shanghai.

Luo Wenhua, Deputy Director General of Shanghai Administration of Sports, remarks, "The staging of the prestigious Buick LPGA Shanghai reflects Shanghai's profound potential in sports development and solid foundation for hosting the Top-Tier international sports event. As a sports-enthusiastic and vibrant city, Shanghai's citizens have shown an increasing passion for sports, particularly in golf."

"Leveraging this event, we aim to not only satisfy the growing diverse sports demands of our citizens, but also make a significant contribution to promoting Shanghai's global image." Luo Wenhua adds.

Looking ahead to this year's tournament, Sean Pyun, LPGA Chief Business Officer-Asia, "Chinese women golfers have accomplished a remarkable achievement in recent years, with an increasing number of Chinese players making their mark in the LPGA, such as 20-year-old Yin Ruoning and 10-year veteran Lin Xiyu. They are now both ranked in the top 12 of the Rolex Rankings. Yin has recently become the second Chinese player to ever win a major championship on the LPGA and stands particularly tall at the 5th spot in the global rankings, achieving a significant milestone for Chinese female golfers since the former number one Feng Shanshan's retirement."

Sean Pyun continues, "The China market is always an important territory for the LPGA, and we are always delighted to reaffirm our commitment to women’s golf in China through collaborations with the China Golf Association, the CLPGA, SAIC-GM Buick, and other partners. After a three-year hibernation, we are immensely honored to return to Shanghai, and looking forward to delivering the best tournament experience to Chinese players and fans."

World-renowned Aces to Luminate Shanghai

Over the past two editions of the tournament, American golfer Danielle Kang has been the standout, clinching back-to-back victories with scores of 275 (13-under par) and 272 (16-under par). The defending champion’s bid to retain the title will be a major highlight of her year. Additionally, the field includes an exciting lineup of Chinese women's golf national team members, comprising of Buick Golf Ambassadors Lin Xiyu, Yin Ruoning, and Liu Yu, who will launch an all-out assault on the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games at the end of September. Furthermore, the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai provides an exceptional platform for outstanding players from the CLPGA to compete alongside international luminaries.

"The Buick LPGA Shanghai boasts the pinnacle of women's professional golf in China in terms of field, prize money, and world ranking points," affirms Li Hong, CEO of China LPGA Tour. "We hope this year's tournament will provide CLPGA players arena platform to display their golf excellence and help nurturing more the local women golfers."

All-round Efforts to Power China’s Golf Development

From hosting premier international professional events, supporting elite professional players, to curating professional junior golf series and golf camp programs, Buick has continuously strived to promote the healthy and sustainable development of golf in the Chinese market.

“We are extremely honored to bring the world’s top women’s golf event once again to Chinese audience after a three-year hiatus. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to China Golf Association (CGA), Shanghai Administration of Sports, the LPGA, and the CLPGA, for their consistent strong support on the Buick LPGA Championship.” said Yao Fei, General Director of Buick Sales and Marketing, SAIC-GM.

“Nowadays, Buick is continuously accelerating its transformation toward electrification, intelligent connectivity and more premium orientation, and rushing into a new era of development. Through the continuous inheritance of Buick’s profound bond with golf beyond 60 years, we will continue to bring more vitality into Chinese golf sport and to promote the healthy development of golf in China.”

It is worth mentioning that the Buick will also present a highly coveted Buick LPGA Shanghai exemption to this year's winner of the 2023 Buick China Junior Golf Championship.

As one of the founding partners of the championship, the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai will continue to be organized and promoted by IMG, a leading global sports agency.

Grant Slack, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Golf Events, IMG, remarked, "We are delighted to work together with the China Golf Association, the Shanghai Administration of Sports, the LPGA, the CLPGA and SAIC-GM Buick, to bring this great golf tournament back to China. We are proud that IMG can be a part of what feels like a very important moment as it marks the resumption of professional golf in China."

Ticket information for the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai will be released soon. Please stay tuned to official announcements for ticket sales.

Buick LPGA Shanghai Leads the Way as International Golf Returns to Shanghai after Three-Year Hiatus

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