Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

THE second edition of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) League teed off at Mission Hills Dongguan on Tuesday, with 40 teams competing for the prestigious title.

The participants include teams from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Foshan, basically covering all the top amateur teams in the GBA, organizers said.

Compared with the event’s first edition last year, more teams registered this year, despite the impact of the current COVID-19 situation.

Han Zhishan, general manager of Mission Hills Golf Club, said he was full of expectations for the games. “The 40 teams undoubtedly represent the GBA’s top amateur level. I believe there will be fierce competitions in the next few months.”

Zhao Dongping, a league consultant, said that the increase in the number of participating teams also meant the event’s quality improved. “We are still optimizing the competition system and hope to build a classic event,” he said.

The event is divided into preliminary, semifinals and finals, which lasts for five months.

Mission Hills held the amateur team points tour for the first time in 2020, and then “upgraded”0 the event to the GBA league in 2021.