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Clearwater Bay Open
SportHong Kong

Clearwater Bay Open likely to be axed as PGA Tour Series-China cancels whole 2021 season

  • Major Hong Kong event likely to be axed for the third year running
  • Asian Tour yet to publish its 2021 schedule meaning no plans for showpiece Hong Kong Open

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New Zealand’s Nick Voke was the champion of the last Clearwater Bay Open in 2018. Photos: Clearwater Bay Open
Paul Ryding
Hong Kong’s 2021 sporting prospectus has been dealt another blow with confirmation that the 2021 season of the PGA Tour Series-China has been scrapped, likely taking with it the Clearwater Bay Open.
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Organisers of the Tour, a feeder circuit for the PGA Tour, announced on Saturday that the 2021 campaign was cancelled due to ongoing uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic in the region.

While the PGA was able to lay out a road map for the Canada-based Mackenzie Tour and PGA Tour Latinoamerica to return to action following lengthy breaks, it deemed travel restrictions in Asia “too difficult to overcome” and scrapped its plans altogether.

“Because of the pandemic and the uncertainty of the situation in Asia at this time, PGA Tour Series-China will not be conducting a season in 2021,” a PGA Tour statement read. “During the year, Series officials will discuss ways of returning to competitive golf and look forward to returning to a full schedule of events in 2022.”

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The move comes following a heavily depleted 2020 campaign which was cancelled in July having only been able to stage a handful of qualifying events.

The Clearwater Bay Open was last held in 2018, when local star Jason Hak Shun-yat memorably set a new course record. It was axed in 2019 and 2020 because of Hong Kong’s civil unrest.
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