More players will participate in the Mission Hills Golfathon this year despite COVID, organizers said at an opening ceremony at Mission Hills Dongguan on Friday.

The event that will start April 15 and will last five months has attracted over 9,100 amateur golf players to register so far and the final number this year is expected to exceed 10,000 as recruitment is still ongoing, according to Han Zhishan, general manager of Mission Hills Golf Club.

Han said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golfathon saw a rise in participation in the last two years. This shows widespread and growing interest in the event from domestic players, characterized by greenery and outdoor enjoyment.

“The spirit of friendship and perseverance conveyed by the Golfathon is also increasingly recognized by the public,” he added.

Over 120 players attended the opening ceremony, among them are defending champion Su Zhouzhen and the oldest participant, 91-year-old Li Rongfang, who can still swing freely on the course.

“I feel relaxed physically and mentally after playing each game. Life is like a marathon, and I will continue to play it,” Li said.

Su is very low-key. “I will try my best and hope to achieve good results,” the defending champion said.

Launched in 2004 to celebrate Mission Hills’ recognition as the world’s largest golf club, the Golfathon is designed to be open to players from all over the world and has attracted about 200,000 participants from over 30 countries and regions including countries in Europe and North America, Australia, South Korea and Japan. It is open to all, male and female, ranging from 5 to 91 years old.

The Golfathon offers an opportunity to golf enthusiasts to play the club’s award-winning golf courses in Shenzhen and Dongguan. The courses are designed by legends like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo, enabling players without established handicaps to compete with one another over 10 qualifying rounds. The top 100 players will enter the grand finals.

The 2022 Golfathon champion will win a Guest Package for Mission Hills Golfathon 2023, a free Golf & Hotel Package in Mission Hills Haikou, including a two-night stay in SPA VILLA and two green vouchers. The division winners and the first runners-up will win the Mission Hills Haikou Golf & Stay Packages, respectively.