Celebrities to tee off at Mission Hills Haikou

A star-studded Pro-Am field will tee off on Oct 19 at Mission Hills Haikou, Hainan province.

Hollywood celebrities, Chinese movie stars, film directors, well-known sports personalities as well as international golfers will show off their swings and putting skills in the country's most southern province.

The grand event, or 2012 Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am, will be held between Oct 19-21.

"This is a unique golf event which features people from various walks of life including film, TV celebrities, golf, kung fu, and other sports. The event will also see men and women playing together," said Ken Chu, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mission Hills Group.

Hong Kong's top action star, Donnie Yen is the Pro-Am's ambassador. Yen is widely credited for popularizing the traditional martial arts style known as wing chun. He played the role of wing chun grandmaster Ip Man in the film Ip Man, and this time he will be promoting golf to the general public.

The tournament was first staged in 2010 and this year will adopt a new format to make it even more entertaining and fun. Professional golfers will compete for a prize purse of $1 million.