SHANGHAI — The 2025 edition of the Women’s China Open, the flagship tournament on the CLPG Tour, will be staged for the first time in Shanghai, at the famed Enhance Anting Golf Club from Oct. 17-19, as part of a strategic move to elevate the CNY 1 million national championship domestically and grow it into a premier international sporting spectacle.
The tournament’s new and exciting chapter is further marked by the China Golf Association and CLPG Tour appointing global sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE as the exclusive commercial partner of the Women’s China Open. With over 30 years of managing golf’s biggest events and elite athletes, SPORTFIVE will drive the event’s growth, spotlight Chinese women’s golf and help to develop career pathways for rising stars from the country and across the Asian region. The company will also manage the sale of sponsorship and media rights for the event.
SPORTFIVE will team up with Venue Asia, a full-service venue and commercial management company, to further develop the Women’s China Open next month.
Wei Qingfeng, Secretary General, China Golf Association said: “As the flagship event of the CLPG Tour and China’s national championship, the Women’s China Open has become a vital platform to nurture and showcase Chinese women’s golf to the world.
“In 2025, we are taking another step forward by partnering with the internationally-renowned SPORTFIVE to deliver a more professional, exciting and globally-minded championship. We warmly welcome SPORTFIVE’s expertise and passion for women’s golf and look forward to working together to provide a more international and diverse stage – especially for Chinese women golfers – while further elevating the tournament’s global profile.”
Lihong, CEO, CLPG Tour said: “Since its inauguration at Xiamen Orient in 2006, the Women’s China Open has stood as China’s first international professional women’s tournament to award world ranking points, and an important window into the growth of golf – especially women’s golf – in our country. As CLPG Tour’s flagship event, the championship has produced and honed many winners and stars – among them Ji-yai Shin, So-yeon Ryu, Sung-hyun Park and Xiyu Lin – while talents such as Shanshan Feng and Ruoning Yin also sharpened their games here, with several going on to reach World No. 1.
“We believe SPORTFIVE’s involvement will inject fresh momentum, expand the event’s international reach and raise its global stature. Together we will continue to advance Chinese women’s golf toward an even brighter future.”
The Women’s China Open has proven to be the sporting epicentre for China’s leading women golfers to gain international renown over the years.
Title holder Ji Yuai, who won in Xiamen last December, will seek to become only the third player to successfully defend her title at Enhance Anting since the event’s inauguration. Currently ranked No. 4 on the CLPG Tour points list, the 20-year-old Dalian native with four career victories, will be fired up for her defence after winning by a tournament record nine-stroke margin last season.
Ji Yuai, the 2024 Women’s China Open Champion and Money Leader of 2024 CLPG Tour said: “Winning the Women’s China Open last season was the biggest achievement yet in my career and it was the thrill of a lifetime. The victory was especially memorable as it helped me secure the CLPG Tour Order of Merit crown, and I cannot wait to defend my title on a challenging golf course and against a very strong field.”
Feng Shanshan, arguably the most successful female golfer in China, competed in the national championship on multiple occasions before becoming a superstar by winning 10 times on the LPGA Tour, including a major championship in 2012 and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
After finishing tied fourth in the 2018 Women’s China Open, Yin Ruoning has since emerged as the highest ranked Chinese player in the world, at No. 5, with five LPGA Tour victories including the 2023 Women’s PGA Championship. The 2019 Women’s China Open champion, Lin Xiyu, is another top name in women’s golf as she emulated Feng’s Olympic Games achievement by securing the bronze medal in Paris last year.
Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, the CLPG Tour No. 1 in 2023 and currently ranked second on the points list, Kan Bunnabodee, also from Thailand, Malaysia’s Ng Jing Xuen and Aretha Pan, Amanda Tan of Singapore and Indonesian Patricia Sinolungan are all tipped to challenge for Ji’s crown next month as they regularly compete in China.
The Women’s China Open will boast a field of 108 players in the three-day stroke-play competition where the top-60 players and ties will advance into the final round after the cut is set through 36 holes.
The tournament will be played in Shanghai for the first time in the event’s history, with Enhance Anting becoming the host venue and presenting sponsor. As the site of the DP World Tour’s men’s China Open in April, which was won by China’s Wu Ashun, Enhance Anting will become the first golf club in the country to host both the men’s and women’s China Open in the same year.
Ozzie Ling, Managing Director, Enhance Anting Golf Club, said: “We are honored to welcome the Women’s China Open to Enhance Anting Golf Club. As the nation’s flagship women’s championship, this tournament not only showcases the talent and determination of the best female golfers in China, but also reflects the spirit of inclusivity and excellence that golf represents.
“By hosting the Women’s China Open alongside the men’s Volvo China Open, we aim to showcase to the world that China is home to world-class golf courses, while contributing to the continued growth of the game in China and inspiring future champions. We look forward to celebrating world-class golf and unforgettable moments together with players, fans, and partners.”
Seamus O’Brien, President and Chairman of the Board, SPORTFIVE Asia said: “China is a burgeoning golf market and the Women’s China Open, a marquee event, is at the forefront of the growth of the women’s game both domestically and elsewhere in Asia. We are thrilled to be working alongside our partners Venue Asia, together with the CGA and CLPG Tour to unlock the potential of women’s golf in China through sporting and commercial opportunities that will be instrumental in building a foundation for its continued growth and international success.”
John Cappo, President and CEO, Venue Asia said: “China women’s golf has tremendous potential and the Women’s China Open will continue to be the platform from which future stars emerge. We are excited to collaborate with the CGA, CLPG Tour, SPORTFIVE and a world-class venue such as Enhance Anting Golf Club to further develop China golf.”
For more information about the Women’s China Open, please visit www.clpga.org
