The DP World Tour resumes its Asian Swing this week with its penultimate stop at the Volvo China Open. Entry List
Wu defends in bid for history
Last year, Ashun Wu became a two-time winner of the Volvo China Open in its 30th anniversary edition. The Chinese carded a closing 65 - birdieing six of the last 11 holes - to claim a one-shot victory over Jordan Smith, almost ten years on from success in his national open at Tomson Shanghai Pudong GC.
It was a decade ago that his win helped him earn a full DP World Tour card, with Wu recently admitting that he has "benefited the most" from the tournament.
A five-time DP World Tour winner, Wu has been troubled by a tennis elbow injury over the past 12 months, playing only 11 events worldwide.
This year, the 40-year-old is bidding to become the first player in tournament history to defend the title and the first to win three times, something Alexander Levy can also achieve with a victory.
Rise of young Chinese talent
With Wu a figurehead for Chinese golf, a host of new up-and-coming talent are beginning to make their mark on the world stage. Leading that crop is Wenyi Ding, who since earning his DP World Tour via the Global Amateur Pathway in 2024 has made an impression on golf's Global Tour. A three-time Chinese Amateur winner, the 21-year-old narrowly missed out on reaching last season's DP World Tour Play-Offs as he registered two top tens. With a runner-up finish in Australia already in this campaign, he arrives back in his homeland just outside the top 20 on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World and with top tens in each of his four previous appearances at the Volvo China Open. Another emerging star Yanhan Zhou, 18, last year's China Tour Order of Merit winner, is experiencing his debut season on the DP World Tour and finished in a tie for third at last month's Hainan Classic presented by MAEXTRO. Jin Han, a 15-year-old amateur who came through a qualifying tournament to earn his place, will make his professional tournament debut. Other top juniors Haoyi Wang and Mengyang Li are worth watching out for too.
Rise of young Chinese talent
With Wu a figurehead for Chinese golf, a host of new up-and-coming talent are beginning to make their mark on the world stage.
Leading that crop is Wenyi Ding, who since earning his DP World Tour via the Global Amateur Pathway in 2024 has made an impression on golf's Global Tour. A three-time Chinese Amateur winner, the 21-year-old narrowly missed out on reaching last season's DP World Tour Play-Offs as he registered two top tens.
With a runner-up finish in Australia already in this campaign, he arrives back in his homeland just outside the top 20 on the Race to Dubai Rankings and with top tens in each of his four previous appearances at the Volvo China Open.
Another emerging star Yanhan Zhou, 18, last year's China Tour Order of Merit winner, is experiencing his debut season on the DP World Tour and finished in a tie for third at last month's Hainan Classic.
Jin Han, a 15-year-old amateur who came through a qualifying tournament to earn his place, will make his professional tournament debut.
Enhance Anting welcomes worldwide field
For the second year running, the Robert Trent Jones II-designed Shanghai Enhance Anting Golf Club plays host to the Volvo China Open.
The 156-player field includes a host of tournament winners from the past two seasons on the DP World Tour, the top 40 players from the China Tour, and 12 players who earned their spot through the 36-hole Volvo China Open Qualifying tournament held earlier this month.
Daniel Hillier makes his return to DP World Tour action for the first time since tying the knot to long-time partner Siobhan, aiming to build on a strong start to the year that also saw him win the New Zealand Open days after his marriage celebrations.
Thriston Lawrence, a five-time DP World Tour winner, will make his Volvo China Open debut, having played on the PGA TOUR as a dual member last year, and the South African is joined by, among others, Nacho Elvira and Jordan Gumberg - both winners so far this season - along with former event champions Levy and Adrian Otaegui.
Kevin Na, a five-time PGA TOUR winner, has received a tournament invitation. The tournament features a US$2.75 million prize fund, with the winner taking home $467,500.
With the Masters Tournament - which took place earlier this month - not counting towards the Asian Swing Rankings, there are two events still to play in the third of five Global Swings on the 2025-26 Race to Dubai schedule. This one and next week's Turkish Airlines Open.
The top three on the Rankings will claim a spot in the field for next month's US PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
EDIT .>>>>>> Canada's Aaron Cockerill is in the Entry list for both events after nearly 3 weeks off over the Masters break.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus
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