Champion Chen Guang Shi and Tenniel Chu, vice chairman, Mission Hills

After six months of heated competition, the ninth Mission Hills Golfathon came to a climatic end earlier, with Shenzhen’s Chen Guang-shi overcoming the field of 100 players to defend his Golfathon Championship trophy.

The young player scored a round of 66, making him the youngest defending champion in the event’s nine year history.

The 2012 event marks the first time in which finalists from both Mission Hills Shenzhen and Mission Hills Haikou have come together to compete in one tournament.

The combined events saw in excess of 6,000 players test themselves on ten different courses in the luxury golf and spa resort’s unique competition.

First prize included an invitation to play in the pro-am practice round at the 2012 Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am, a free golf and hotel package at Mission Hills Haikou, seven days of unlimited golf for two people at Mission Hills Shenzhen and a complimentary seven-night stay for two at Mission Hill’s reciprocal club - Palazzo Arzaga Hotel SPA & Golf Resort in Italy.

Speaking from the Shenzhen Clubhouse, a delighted Chen said: “It’s a great honour to win such a prestigious and unique event.

“To have the opportunity to play with some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment at the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am will be a dream come true for me – I can’t wait.”

The Golfathon was launched in 2004 to commemorate Mission Hills’ recognition as the world’s largest golf facility by the Guinness World Records.

Since the launch, the Golfathon has become one of Mission Hills’ signature events, attracting nearly 30,000 participants from more than 30 countries competing on courses designed by some of the true greats in the game including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Annika Sorenstam.
     
Speaking at the Official Presentation Ceremony, vice chairman of Mission Hills Group, Tenniel Chu, said: “After six months of competition, more than 6,000 participants and an accumulative total of over one million holes of golf, we have a very deserving winner.

“It’s been fantastic to see this event continue to grow each year and we look forward to welcoming even more participants back to Mission Hills in 2013.”

Mission Hills was recently voted Asia’s Leading Golf Resort by the World Travel Awards.