PGA Tour officials, on behalf of the Federation of PGA Tours, HSBC and IMG, today announced that the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions will not be played as scheduled in 2022. The decision was made in conjunction with the China Golf Association due to ongoing Covid-19 related restrictions.
“We have worked with all Tours, as well as the China Golf Association, on the viability of hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions this fall, but unfortunately the logistical implications forced the difficult decision to cancel the event,” said PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, International, Christian Hardy. “We are thankful for HSBC’s partnership during these trying times as we continue to navigate the changing COVID-19 climate.”
With the cancelation of the WGC-HSBC Champions, the Butterfield Bermuda Championship will be played as a stand-alone event with full FedEx Cup points and an elevated purse of $6.5 million. The tournament returns to Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, the week of October 24-30.
As a result of the cancellation, only one World Golf Championship will form part of the 2022 season. That being the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play which was won by World No.1 Scottie Scheffler earlier in the year.
The WGC-HSBC Champions has not been played since prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, where, in 2019, Rory McIlroy defeated Xander Schauffele in a playoff at Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai.
Its past champions also include Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Russell Knox, who recently described the emergence of the LIV Golf Series as "a good thing for the European Ryder Cup Team is it’s got rid of all the old boys who were hanging on for dear life."
