Macao, 15 October 2013: Two of the brightest talents from the Greater China region, Hu Mu and Xiao Jie-yu, are in Macao to compete at the 2013 Venetian Macao Open, which begins this Thursday at the Macao Golf & Country Club.

Less than 48 hours to the first tee of the 15^th edition of the championship, the mainland Chinese and Macanese golfers  led an introductory session for 20 local youngsters, some of whom have never tried the sport. Hu, who many have tipped as China’s next big hope in golf, enjoyed his coaching role today and believes it helps his preparations for the tournament ahead:

“It was fun to play golf with the young participants today and the session just now gave me a chance to relax a bit ahead of the tournament this week. Usually, to prepare for competitive play, I spend time on the practice green or driving range to work on what my coach or I feel need some fine tuning, but actually, hearing myself explain to the workshop participants on what to do, it serves as a reminder to myself on what I need to be doing, so it is good preparation!”

Hu was joined by Xiao Jie-yu, one of Macao’s leading amateur golfers, at the introductory session. The 25-year-old, who lists finishing as the top amateur at the Volvo China Open a few years ago as one of his career highlights, is delighted with the enthusiasm the participants displayed during the workshop:

“Today was great. I have played golf for a long time now but I still remember how it was when I first started. So many people have helped me along the way, and I have always wanted to give something back, and this workshop allowed me to do just that. Some of the youngsters show real promise and they picked up really quickly what we showed them. I hope they will continue with it, and maybe one day, they will get a chance to play at the Venetian Macao Open too.”

Hu and Xiao will now get ready to battle it out on the course with the likes of four-time Major champion Ernie Els, defending Venetian Macao Open winner Gaganjeet Bhullar, Chinese and Thai number one Liang Wen-chong and Thongchai jaidee respectively, and two-time Macao Open winner, Zhang Lian-wei later this week.

Jointly organised by Macao Sport Development Board of Macao SAR Government (MSDB) and Golf Association of Macao, the tournament is sanctioned by the latter and the Asian Tour, and promoted by IMG. Following a successful foray into the world of golf last year, The Venetian^® Macao-Resort-Hotel has returned as title sponsor of the event.

The Venetian Macao Open will once again be a free entry event for golf fans from around the world to enjoy live world class professional golf in one of the best loved destinations for leisure and business travel in Asia.

Since its inauguration in 1998, the tournament has been graced by the presence of some of the best golfers the world has ever seen, including Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Fred Couples, Ian Woosnam and Mark O’Meara. This year’s event boasts a total prize fund of US$800,000, an increase of 6.7% compared to last year.

Sponsors joining The Venetian Macao in support of the tournament include Rolex, Srixon, Air Macao, Blue Girl and Bonaqua, as well as first time sponsors Lamborghini, Maui Jim, Subway, Hytera, Twinwoods and Hong Kong Descente, which carries both the Le Coq Sportif Golf Collection and Munsingwear.

For more details on the Venetian Macao Open, please visit www.thevenetianmacauopen.com