Hideki Matsuyama will launch his defence of the WGC-HSBC Champions alongside Spain’s Jon Rahm and American Dustin Johnson when play gets under way at Sheshan Golf Club on Thursday morning.
Matsuyama became the first Japanese golfer to win a World Golf Championships event 12 months ago when he stormed to a tournament record seven-shot victory over Daniel Berger and Henrik Stenson. This week he will look to become the first player to retain the title and only the third player (after Tiger Woods and Johnson) to win back-to-back WGC events, following his victory in August’s Bridgestone Invitational.
The 25-year-old will get those historic bids started at 10:50 local time in Shanghai on Thursday in the company of World No 1 and 2013 winner Johnson and Race to Dubai No 3 Rahm, who enters the week knowing a good finish could yet go a long way towards a shot at the Harry Vardon Trophy in his rookie European Tour season.
Tommy Fleetwood, the man who leads the 2017 Race to Dubai with four weeks of the season remaining, thanks to wins in Abu Dhabi and France, and further top tens in Hong Kong, Mexico, China, America and Italy, is out at 9:40 on Thursday with two-time WGC winner and former Masters Champion Adam Scott and BMW PGA Champion Alex Noren.
Saffa tee times:
Elsewhere, reigning European No 1 Henrik Stenson will resume his hunt for a maiden European Tour title in 2017 at 9:50 alongside another pair of Major winners in Jason Day and Brooks Koepka, while Tyrrell Hatton, who won in consecutive weeks in his last two starts at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Italian Open, hits the lush fairways of Sheshan at 10:30 in the company of China’s Li Haotong and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Olympic Gold Medallist Justin Rose, meanwhile, is off at 10:40 with compatriot Paul Casey plus bronze medallist Matt Kuchar, while Ryder Cup teammates Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters tee off at 10:10 in a three-ball completed by talented young American Xander Schauffele.
Two-time HSBC Champions winner Phil Mickelson is back in the field for the first time since 2013, and the American favourite will be out at 9:30 with countryman Patrick Reed and Korean Players Championship winner Si Woo Kim.
China’s Zhang Xinjun will get play started in the 13th edition of the HSBC Champions at precisely 8:50 on Thursday morning.
