Golfers ready to tee off in Haikou

A press conference is held for the Hainan Championship which is currently taking place in Haikou, Hainan province, on April 10. [Photo/hinews.cn]

The PGA Tour Series-China is continuing its regular season, with back-to-back events in China's southern city of Haikou from April 11 to 14.

The series features 14 tournaments this season, with the Haikou Championship the third event after last week's Sanya Championship.

Sunac Haikou 3KM Golf Club is hosting the latest tournament, with 144 top international golfers competing for a total prize pool of 1.6 million yuan ($230,000). 

The championship consists of four rounds and 288 bars. The top finisher will win a total of 288,000 yuan and six merits on the official World Golf Ranking.

American Trevor Sluman is currently leading the Order of Merit and trying to reach new heights as the 25-year-old just won his first professional four-day tournament a week ago, capturing the Sanya Championship.

Despite a steady 2018 and finishing ninth on the Tour's Order of Merit, Sluman is looking to continue his strong momentum towards the Web.com Tour, the pathway to the PGA TOUR. 

"Sunac Haikou 3KM Golf Club features beautiful scenery," said Sluman, "I feel really comfortable on this grass and look forward to another triumph in the Haikou Championship."

A golfer tees off during practice for the Haikou Championship at Sunac Haikou 3KM Golf Club in Haikou, Hainan province. [Photo/hinews.cn]

The PGA Tour established the multi-event PGA Tour Series-China in 2014. The series is currently in its third international developmental tour, following in the footsteps of PGA Tour Latin-American and the Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada.

Since the event's inception, PGA Tour Series-China players have received official World Golf Ranking points for top finishes at its sanctioned tournaments.

The city of Haikou is working closely with PGA Tour Series-China to present its course in the best-possible condition. It's also the fourth time that Hainan has hosted the championship.

"Haikou boasts a full range of supporting facilities and is capable of hosting dozens of international events," said Wang Yangjun, vice-president of the Golf Association of Hainan Province.

He believes that with the right facilities and determination, Hainan is in good shape to host more large sporting events in the future.