Mission Hills continues its dynamic role at the forefront of the golf boomin China with the launch of the Mission Hills Star Trophy, a ground-breakingcelebrity pro-am tournament featuring several of the biggest names in entertainmentand sports and the richest individual prize in Asian golf.

The event, to be playedOctober 28-31 at the newly launched Mission Hills ·Haikou, is the inaugural world-classgolf event to be held on Hainan Island.

The Mission Hills StarTrophy will combine a golf tournament, entertainment and tourism, with elite professionalgolfers playing alongside international sports and entertainment icons. The‘green carpet’ will be rolled out for the gala celebrating sport and culture.

The Mission Hills Star Trophywill join two noted international golf events – the AT&T Pebble BeachNational Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, California, USA and the Alfred Dunhill LinksChampionship in St. Andrews, Scotland– as the premier pro-am tournaments on thegolf calendar.

Golf superstars scheduledto play in the Mission Hills Star Trophy include: Greg Norman, world’s numberone golfer for 331 consecutive weeks; Sir Nick Faldo, winner of six majorchampionships; plus Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa, both of whom dominatedthe LPGA. Also in the field are Japan’s top ranked golfer, Ryuji Imada; RosieJones, 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup captain; Colin Montgomerie, 2010 European RyderCup captain; Se Ri Pak, the only Korean woman golfer in the World Golf Hall of Fame;and China’s top golfer, Zhang Lian-wei.

Among the internationalcelebrities in attendance will be the winner of the 2010 Tony Award for BestPerformance Catherine Zeta-Jones; movie stars and celebrity golfers Hugh Grantand Matthew McConaughey; Chinese gymnastic legend Li Ning; Michael Phelps ofBeijing Olympic fame;  international football legend Gullit; Japanesechief Rakugoka; and anchorman Sanma Akashiya.

The superstar participantswill be part of a field that includes celebrities, professionals and amateursfor the four-day event. Amateur teams of three will play a scramble format witha celebrity and a professional golfer on the first two days. The weekend play willthen be in four-ball stroke play format between the top 20 teams consisting ofa celebrity and a professional, with a 36-hole individual professional eventrunning concurrently on the Blackstone Course.

For the Mission Hills StarTrophy, the flagship Blackstone course will be showcased to the golfworld.  Weaving through a striking landscape of mature trees, expansivewetlands and ever-present lava rock, the course is a superlative tournamentvenue and will host the 2011Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

With plans eventuallycalling for 10 championship golf courses in addition to Blackstone, the resortsets a new standard in leisure, recreation and wellness experiences. Nestledamid lush, green gardens, Mission Hills Haikou offers state-of-the-artamenities including 518 tastefully-appointed guest rooms and suites, athree-story clubhouse, meeting facilities, 12 world-class restaurants, afully-equipped sports and recreation center, Hainan's only aquatic theme park,therapeutic natural mineral springs, a spa oasis and a shopping arcade.

As the world tunes in tosee this October’s Mission Hills Star Trophy, Mission Hills · Haikou will beshowcased as one of the world’s premier international destinations.