Shanghai, China: After witnessing some great golf at the recent Volvo China Open, Silport members and their guests got to show their mettle on their home course as the club staged its final tournament of the year, the Christmas Cup.

Playing under a New Peoria scoring system, the 180-man field was split into three groups: The ‘A’ group was players with handicaps of 15 or less; the ‘B’ group was handicaps of 16 to 22, with the rest were classified as the ‘C’ group.

Playing over Silport’s Center, East and West layouts, the three groups classified to their respective abilities competed for both low nett and low gross prizes. Players in the guest category were restricted to competing for low nett honors only.

Competing under sunny but cool conditions, Chen Zhangning posted the low score of the day when he shot a 10-over par 82 to capture the low gross in the ‘A’ group. Qiu Jin Dian won the ‘B’ gross with a round of 91 while Park Shin Ki, the Korean consulate general in Shanghai, took the ‘C’ group with a score of 99.

Motozuka Kazunori won the team ‘A’ low nett with a score of 69.8, followed by CK Park (72.2) and Dr Im Ki Thaek (72.8). Wu Zhongfang (70.4) took the ‘B’ nett, followed by Chen Jing (72.8) and Hu Rong Lu (72.8).
Chen proved to be a multiple winner on the day when she also claimed one of the ‘near-to-the-center’ and long drive prizes.

Gao Guangzhong won the ‘C’ nett with a score of 73.4, followed by 10-year-old Li Bai Lian (75.8) and Long Huifang (75.8). Shen Meilin was the top guest with a nett 71.2 while Cui Ping Xi was second with 71.2 and Han Jinghua (72) third.

Other prizes saw Chen Yong and Xiang Bing win ‘near-to-the-center’ prizes. Martin Fish, Hong Xiaodong, Zhu Qiaoming, Wang Xianxiong and Lian Letian each won a longest drive hole.

Nearest-to-the-pin honors went to Mr Park, Chen Yuanhe, Long Huifang, Qiu Jindian, Shi Dan and Al Albridge.
Following the round, a prize giving ceremony was held at a dinner as the members and guests were treated to musical and dancing performances. Jack Huang, Silport’s deputy general manager, awarded special prizes to the club’s long-term sponsors and to those members who had carded a hole-in-one this year.

He also announced that about 100 new members, mostly from multinational companies based in Shanghai, had joined the club’s membership this year.