Nicklaus to Receive Award in China

Mission Hills Golf Club - which contains 12 golf courses, the world's largest collection - has announced that Jack Nicklaus will visit April 17 to receive a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the China Golf Association.

Winner of a record 18 professional major championships and the designer of Mission Hills' World Cup Course, Nicklaus will discuss his association with the new Jack Nicklaus Junior Masters at Mission Hills, and conduct a clinic. To commemorate his work on the World Cup Course, Nicklaus will place his handprints in cement near the first tee.

"Jack is revered in China for both his record as a player and his accomplishments as a businessman," says Tenniel Chu, Executive Director, Mission Hills Golf Club. "He was one of the first people to recognize the untapped promise that China held for golf."

Nicklaus has designed 13 courses in China. Mission Hills' World Cup Course opened in 1994 and has hosted a variety of international events, including the 41st World Cup of Golf in 1995. Known for its large, speedy greens and deep bunkers, it's regarded as one of the finest courses in Asia.

His commitment to developing the sport in China continues through his association with the new Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Masters. "Mission Hills is dedicated to promoting golf among Chinese youth and welcomes Jack's involvement," says Chu. "His name is associated with greatness and lends even further credence to our efforts to foster the next generation of major championship contenders."

Nicklaus's visit to China coincides with the Omega Mission Hills World Cup's return to prominence, thanks to the golf facility's involvement through 2018. No stranger to the event, Nicklaus played on the winning team a record six times - in 1963, '64, '66 and '67 with Arnold Palmer, in '71 with Lee Trevino and in '73 with Johnny Miller. He was the individual champion three times (1963, '64, '71), also a record.

For more information about Mission Hills Golf Club, visit www.missionhillsgroup.com.