 The cold and windy weather did little to deter the enthusiasm for the 2009 Shanghai Honma Cup ¨C Silport Year-end Members Invitational as a field of 140 players turned out to contest the popular event.
With Santa Claus and his girls on hand to welcome the participants, the array of eye-catching prizes on offer from Honma ¨C valued at about 160,000 RMB in total ¨C proved an early Christmas was in order as the competition for the hi-tech woods, irons and travel bags, among others, would be fierce.
Playing on the Center and East course layouts under a New Peoria scoring format, Chen Zhang Ning emerged the gross champion as the 8.4 handicap shot an 81 for a nett 72.6.
The battle for the nett champion title proved intense as 16.8 handicap Toba Hidenori shot an 81 for a nett 72.2 and the championship, just ahead of KT Kim and Huang Zhao Cheng.
Only a day after successfully defending her club champion title at the Grand Monthly Medal, Li Li Yun took the women¡¯s nett champion honor and claimed a Honma long drive prize. Xiao Jian Ming won the Honma men¡¯s long drive honor, while KT Kim and Kikuchi Toru were second and third respectively.
Chen Tian Duo was also recognized for the nearest-the-pin prize. An offer of a Honma limited edition putter worth 15,000 RMB for a hole-in-one and a prize package valued at 8,000 RMB went unclaimed.
At the award ceremony where a band entertained the participants, a special honor, the ¡°2009 Iconic Member Award¡± was given to three members who had demonstrated their full support of the club in participating in regular tournaments, playing regularly to improve their own game and in providing suggestions for further improvements. Among the first recipients of the award were Kan Cheol-ki, Matsumoto Shinji and Zhang Yue. Each received an Acqua di Parma gift set. Also recognized was Zhang Bao Kun who registered the most club visits in 2009 with 80 rounds.
At this highly-charged season-ending event the lucky draw prizes were in abundance. Among the goodies on offer were a Honma golf bag, sand wedge, t-shirt and gift set, a round-trip airfare from Shanghai to Haikou via Shanghai Airlines, accommodation from Double Tree by Hilton, a Huaqiao Kunshan package, Pro-Simon t-shirt, PF Whey Tech gift set, Tiger Beach Golf Links golfing package, Silport David Leadbetter Golf Academy instruction package, Formby Run red wine and an Esteem down blanket, among others.
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