Hainan Island a tropical treat for 2024 Mission Hills Masters

Hainan Island a tropical treat for 2024 Mission Hills Masters

The 2024 Mission Hills Masters - Hainan Island, the inaugural China event co-hosted by SGA and AYM Golf Tours, proved to be (in the words of a few guests) one of our "best-ever events". Featuring a week of island fun (followed by an optional 3-day extension for even MORE golf), the event had it all: World-class golf, 5-star service, a lush & tropical setting and stunning scenery.

Sunday - 2024 Mission Hills Masters Welcome Dinner

A total of 57 players and their guests & partners were welcomed to the Mission Hills Masters at a sumptuous Welcome Dinner Buffet. They met their fellow players, enjoyed a few beverages and received their souvenir Tournament Polos, caps, bag tags and more.

Monday - R1 - Sandbelt Trails

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Day 1 of the Mission Hills Masters proved to be a cracker! Playing the Sandbelt Trails course (modeled after Melbourne's famed golf region), our golfers were treated to an impeccably-presented golf course, knowledgeable (and friendly) caddies, and 5-star treatment all around. Despite some high temps and humidity, our players had an absolute blast.

Tuesday - R2 - Lava Fields

Another stellar day, hosted at the gorgeous Lava Fields course. What a course! The lava rocks (everywhere) provided not only a great setting, but also some unexpected bounces. And the immaculate greens and fairways were a joy! In the event, a few players began jockeying for position, with Drew Hallam leaping to the top of A Grade (38-38), Ian Jolliffe leading B Grade (37-37), and Carl Rutledge atop C Grade (24-34).

Wednesday - Rest Day

Wednesday was a well-earned rest day. While some golfers chose to play another round of optional golf on one of the many stunning par-3 courses at Mission Hills, many other golfers took the day to explore the Mission Hills Resort's shops, indulge in the free Spa (including 68 Volcanic Pools) or just chill by the sparkling pool. Still others took the free shuttle to the city of Haikou (to explore shopping, the Zoo, and authentic Hainan Cuisine) or a quick trip to the shops and attractions at Mission Hills Centerville.

Thursday - R3 - The Vintage + The China & Australia Friendship Cup

Round 3 marked the inaugural China & Australia Friendship Cup. Held at the The Vintage Course, over 100 Australian and Chinese Golfers enjoyed a day of fun, friendship and camaraderie. This was a landmark occasion for all involved, with the language of golf transcending all barriers. Many long-lasting friendships were made.

Following the round, the golfers from both countries enjoyed a lunch together, and an awards ceremony, while they discussed their great (and not-so-great) shots on the course.

Friday - R4 - Blackstone & Farewell Dinner

The Blackstone Course provided a magnificent finale for our event, with lovely views and a stunning course & layout. The previous host of many top-end Asian events (including The Match at Mission Hills, featuring Tiger Woods v Rory McIlroy), the Blackstone course was

In the week-long Aggregate Stableford event, there were some solid performances throughout. Congratulations to Drew Hallam, who led from wire to wire, blitzing the field to take A Grade honours with 146 points. Next best were Shane Hazell on 132, and Geoff Steer on 131.

In B Grade, it was Ian Jolliffe taking the bikkies with 143, over Arvin Kumar on 128 and Mark Stephenson on 124.

In C Grade, it was Mark Rice on top with 122, followed by Ian Steer and Carl Rutledge, both on 113.

Final leaderboard here (or see scoreboard below):

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/9582383407942367753

Extension - The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula

On Saturday, a large group of our players hopped on a luxury coach for a 2.5 hour transfer to The Sheraton Hotel, and The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula. Over the following three days, the players played the #1-rated club in China (Composite Course), and the #3 in Asia. The two 18-hole seaside courses (East & West) proved to be a bucket list treat for all, and were a highlight of the trip for all who played.

Final Scores - 2024 Mission Hills Masters

A Grade Flight
Pos.	Player	Total Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Drew Hallam	146	38	38	35	35
2	Matthew Pitt	134	31	29	40	34
3	Paul White	134	30	31	42	31
4	Shane Hazell	132	30	31	37	34
5	Geoffrey Steer	131	34	33	37	27
6	David Warwick	126	32	32	33	29
7	Nick Sutherland	125	33	29	35	28
8	Elliot Cayton	124	30	36	26	32
9	Andrew Grant	124	32	32	37	23
10	Matty Thomas	122	32	25	30	35
11	Dennis Williams	121	28	35	30	28
12	Stephen Te Whare	113	26	35	29	23
13	Robert Garioch	110	33	24	28	25
14	Ryan Hassan	109	25	32	30	22
15	Richard Fellner	107	26	25	29	27
16	Tom Tomlin	104	28	26	25	25
17	Lisa Garioch	104	28	22	30	24
18	David Morriss	97	27	23	27	20
19	Jerry Florindo	93	21	22	29	21

B Grade Flight
Pos.	Player	Total Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Ian Jolliffe	143	37	37	33	36
2	Arvin Kumar	128	31	30	39	28
3	Mark Stephenson	124	28	28	34	34
4	Greg Dalton	120	32	23	36	29
5	Tim Hibbard	117	33	27	31	26
6	Joel Matthews	115	27	29	34	25
7	Mick David	113	27	22	35	29
8	Rod Tozer	112	31	23	26	32
9	Lee Daly	109	22	25	35	27
10	Neville Hughes	107	28	27	32	20
11	Dennis Lanigan	103	27	25	28	23
12	Cameron Thompson	102	23	31	24	24
13	Chris Hallam	100	22	28	22	28
14	Gary Moller	98	16	22	31	29
15	Peter Calverley	97	29	25	25	18
16	Olga Tozer	83	26	19	17	21
17	Pete Jensen	83	25	18	22	18
18	Jodene Tuau	77	19	17	24	17

C Grade Flight
Pos.	Player	Total Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Mark Rice	122	28	27	38	29
2	Ian Steer	113	30	26	29	28
3	Carl Rutledge	113	24	34	32	23
4	Jade Lowe	111	25	25	29	32
5	Patrick Bond	110	30	25	28	27
6	Ivan Jones	106	29	27	25	25
7	Kathy Ridley	100	29	20	29	22
8	Frank Elisaia	100	23	29	29	19
9	Andrew Sharp	95	23	27	26	19
10	Bill Anastasopoulos	92	20	20	29	23
11	John Waltis	88	31	17	19	21
12	David Loveridge	85	24	17	24	20
13	Kina Hazell	84	23	10	25	26
14	Travis Hicks	84	23	20	22	19
15	Rita Petrovs	76	26	9	25	16
16	Sue Hughes	72	25	16	10	21
17	Marcella Broz	67	22	15	14	16
18	Sheri Yu	47	24	0	23	0
19	Yvonne Grant	45	22	10	6	7

Thanks

Thanks to all of our "Foundation Players" for making this event a huge success! If you had a blast, tell your friends! (And get them on board for March next year!)

Thanks to May and the entire team at Mission Hills for hosting us. Thanks to Sheri at AYM Golf Tours for making it all possible. Thanks to Hainan Airlines Global for their partnership. And thanks to our sponsors Srixon Australia & New Zealand, Garmin Australia, Drummond Golf, MGI Golf, Heathcote Winery, and Card.Gift.