2015 WGC-HSBC Champions explained

2015 WGC-HSBC Champions
Dates:	5–8 November 2015
Location:	Shanghai, China
Course:	Sheshan Golf Club
Tour:	Asian Tour European Tour PGA Tour
Par:	72
Yardage:	7261yd
Field:	78 players
Cut:	None
Purse:	$8,500,000
Winners Share:	$1,400,000
Champion:	Russell Knox
Score:	268 (−20)
Previous:	2014
Next:	2016

The 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions was a golf tournament played from 5–8 November 2015 at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, China. It was the seventh WGC-HSBC Champions tournament, and the fourth of four World Golf Championships events held in 2015.

Russell Knox won by 2 strokes from Kevin Kisner. Danny Willett had a last round 62 to finish joint third with Ross Fisher, a further stroke behind. Knox was playing in his first WGC event and became the first Scot to win a World Golf Championship. Knox had only earned entry as third alternate.

Field

The following is a list of players who qualified for the 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions. The criteria for invitation differed from 2014, with a move towards the leaders in points lists rather than tournament winners. Players who qualify from multiple categories are listed in the first category in which they are eligible with the other qualifying categories in parentheses next to the player's name.^[1] ^[2]

1. Winners of the four major championships and The Players Championship Rickie Fowler (3,4), Jordan Spieth (3,4)

Jason Day (3,4) and Zach Johnson (3,4) did not play

2. Winners of the previous four World Golf Championships Dustin Johnson (3,4), Shane Lowry (3,5), Rory McIlroy (3,4,5), Bubba Watson (3,4)

3. Top 50 from the OWGR on 19 OctoberKiradech Aphibarnrat (5), Daniel Berger (4), Paul Casey (4), Sergio García (5), Branden Grace (5), Emiliano Grillo, Thongchai Jaidee (5), Martin Kaymer (5), Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner (4), Søren Kjeldsen (5), Anirban Lahiri (5), Danny Lee (4), Marc Leishman, David Lingmerth, Hunter Mahan, Hideki Matsuyama (4), Kevin Na (4), Louis Oosthuizen (4,5), Scott Piercy (4), Patrick Reed (4), Charl Schwartzel (5), Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson (4,5), Robert Streb (4), Andy Sullivan (5), Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger (5), Danny Willett (5), Gary Woodland

Jim Furyk (4), Bill Haas (4), Charley Hoffman (4), J. B. Holmes (4), Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka (4), Matt Kuchar (4), Phil Mickelson, Ryan Palmer, Justin Rose (4,5), Brandt Snedeker (4), and Jimmy Walker (4) did not play

4. Top 30 from the final 2015 FedEx Cup points list (if there are less than five available players, players beyond 30th will be selected to increase the number to five)Steven Bowditch, Harris English, Matt Jones, Daniel Summerhays, Justin Thomas

Bae Sang-moon did not play due to military service

5. Top 30 from the Race to Dubai as of 26 OctoberAn Byeong-hun, Luke Donald, Ross Fisher, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, David Howell, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, James Morrison, Alex Norén, Thorbjørn Olesen, Thomas Pieters, Marc Warren, Chris Wood

George Coetzee did not play

6. The leading four available players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit as of 26 OctoberShiv Chawrasia, Andrew Dodt, Scott Hend, Richard T. Lee

7. The leading two available players from the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit as of 26 OctoberKim Kyung-tae, Satoshi Kodaira

Yuta Ikeda did not play

8. The leading two available players from the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of MeritGreg Chalmers, Steven Jeffress

9. The leading two available players from the final 2014 Sunshine Tour Order of MeritThomas Aiken, Daniel van Tonder

10. Six players from ChinaCao Yi, Dou Zecheng, Li Haotong, Liang Wenchong, Wu Ashun, Zhang Xinjun

11. Alternates, if needed to fill the field of 78 players

The next available player on the Orders of Merit of the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour, and PGA Tour of Australasia, ranked in order of their position in the OWGR as of 19 October
Next available player, not otherwise exempt, from Race to Dubai as of 26 October, OWGR as of 19 October, FedEx Cup list:

Hiroshi Iwata (Japan)

Danny Chia (Asia)

Trevor Fisher Jnr (Sunshine)

Nick Cullen (Australasia)

Tyrrell Hatton (Race to Dubai; replaced George Coetzee)

Ian Poulter (OWGR; replaced Brandt Snedeker)

Russell Knox (FedEx Cup; replaced J. B. Holmes)

Cameron Smith (Asia; replaced Billy Horschel)

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Branden Grace shot a 9-under-par 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Steven Bowditch, Kevin Kisner, and Thorbjørn Olesen.^[3]

Place	Score	To par
1	63	−9
T2	64	−8
Kevin Kisner
Thorbjørn Olesen
T5	65	−7
Patrick Reed
Danny Willett
8	66	−6
T9	67	−5
Harris English
Trevor Fisher Jnr
Tommy Fleetwood
Russell Knox
Thomas Pieters
Zhang Xinjun

Second round

Friday, 6 November 2015

Kevin Kisner shot a second-round 66 to take a two stroke lead over Russell Knox, who shot the low round of the day, 65. First-round leader Branden Grace shot a 71 to fall to third place, four strokes behind Kisner. Li Haotong, of China, moved up the leaderboard to a tie for 4th with a second-round 69.^[4]

Place	Player	Score	To par
1		64-66=130	−14
2		67-65=132	−12
3		63-71=134	−10
T4		66-69=135	−9
	66-70=135
T6		65-71=136	−8
	68-68=136
	70-66=136
T9		69-68=137	−7
	68-69=137
	68-69=137
	68-69=137

Third round

Saturday, 7 November 2015
Sunday, 8 November 2015

Third round play did not finish Saturday due to Russell Knox choosing not to play the last hole due to darkness.^[5] When he finished his hole on Sunday, he was tied for the lead with Kevin Kisner at 16-under-par. They were one stroke ahead of Dustin Johnson and Li Haotong.

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1		64-66-70=200	−16
	67-65-68=200
T3		65-71-65=201	−15
	66-69-66=201
T5		69-69-65=203	−13
	65-70-68=203
	68-72-63=203
T8		63-71-70=204	−12
	68-69-67=204
	64-74-66=204

Final round

Sunday, 8 November 2015

Russell Knox shot a final round 68 to beat Kevin Kisner by two strokes. Li Haotong's T7 finish was the highest PGA Tour finish for a Chinese player.^[6]

Place	Player	Score	To par	Prize money (US$)
1	Russell Knox	67-65-68-68=268	−20	1,400,000
2		64-66-70-70=270	−18	850,000
T3		69-69-65-68=271	−17	422,500
	65-74-70-62=271
T5		63-71-70-68=272	−16	276,500
	65-71-65-71=272
T7		68-69-69-67=273	−15	173,750
	66-69-66-72=273
	65-70-68-70=273
	68-72-63-70=273

Scorecard

	Birdie		Bogey		Double bogey

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	5	4	3	4	3	4	5	4	4	4	3	4	5	4	4	3	5
Knox	−16	−17	−18	−17	−17	−18	−18	−18	−17	−18	−19	−19	−19	−19	−19	−20	−20	−20
Kisner	−15	−15	−15	−15	−15	−16	−16	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−18
Fisher	−13	−14	−15	−15	−15	−15	−15	−16	−16	−17	−17	−17	−17	−17	−16	−16	−17	−17
Willett	−8	−9	−10	−11	−11	−11	−11	−12	−13	−14	−14	−14	−15	−16	−16	−17	−17	−17
Grace	−12	−13	−14	−14	−13	−14	−15	−16	−16	−16	−17	−16	−16	−17	−16	−16	−15	−16
Johnson	−15	−16	−17	−16	−16	−16	−17	−15	−15	−14	−14	−14	−14	−15	−15	−16	−16	−16
Fitzpatrick	−10	−11	−11	−11	−11	−12	−12	−12	−12	−12	−12	−12	−12	−13	−13	−14	−14	−15
Li	−14	−12	−13	−12	−11	−12	−12	−13	−13	−13	−13	−13	−13	−13	−13	−14	−15	−15
Reed	−13	−14	−14	−14	−14	−14	−14	−15	−15	−15	−15	−15	−16	−14	−14	−14	−14	−15
Spieth	−12	−13	−13	−13	−12	−12	−12	−13	−13	−13	−13	−13	−13	−14	−14	−15	−15	−15

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:^[7]

External links

31.109°N 121.216°W

Notes and References

Web site: The Field . HSBC Champions . 23 June 2015.
Web site: WGC-HSBC Champions: Entry List . PGA European Tour . 26 October 2015.
News: Branden Grace leads; Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson shoot 68 . ESPN . Associated Press . 5 November 2015.
News: Kevin Kisner opens 2-shot lead at HSBC Champions . ESPN . Associated Press . 6 November 2015.
News: Jordan Spieth eyes Shanghai prize as Rory McIlroy battles on . ESPN . Associated Press . 7 November 2015.
News: Russell Knox shoots 68 to win first PGA Tour title at HSBC Champions . ESPN . Associated Press . 8 November 2015.
Web site: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. ESPN. 9 November 2015.