On October 27, after an intense six rounds of competition, the Golf China Tour Match Play Championship concluded in Chongqing, where He Chunyi emerged victorious, defeating Chen Zihao by 2 holes (2 up) in the final round.
This event, organized by the China Golf Association and the Chongqing Sports Bureau, featured a total prize pool of 1.2 million yuan, marking the only match play tournament in China’s professional golf circuit for the 2024 season.
The tournament kicked off with an initial field of 108 players, with the qualifying rounds held on October 24. After an 18-hole stroke play, the top 32 players advanced as seeded competitors. The event then proceeded with a single-elimination format until a champion was crowned.
On the final day, the semifinals and the final match took place, featuring He Chunyi and Chen Zihao battling it out for the championship title. The two players were evenly matched in the early holes, but as the round progressed, He Chunyi gained momentum, building a 3-hole lead at one point. However, Chen Zihao fought back, scoring back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15, reigniting the competition.
The final hole (a par-5) saw Chen Zihao unable to match He Chunyi’s score, finishing with a par that sealed his fate. With this victory, He Chunyi broke a three-year championship drought, earning his fourth title on the China Tour. In his post-match remarks, he expressed gratitude for the long-awaited rewards of his hard work and vowed to continue striving for excellence.
Li Jinliang, head of the Men’s Professional Event Department of the China Golf Association, shared that they aim to establish a match play tournament with a unique cultural and competitive flair. He emphasized that this event was a bold innovation in the China Tour’s efforts to create a premier competitive platform in China, enriching the variety of tournaments available and meeting the growing audience demand for golf.
