The Asian Amateur Championship, organised by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and supported by the Masters Tournament and The R&A, released its inaugural championship field today, which includes the top male amateur golfers from 30 APGC member nations.

A 117-player field will compete in the 72-hole stroke play event on the World Cup Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China, 29 October - 1 November 2009. An invitation to play in the 2010 Masters Tournament awaits the winner, while both the winner and the runner(s)-up will earn a place in International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship being played next year at St Andrews.

"With the support of the Masters Tournament and The R&A, amateur golf in the region has received a tremendous boost," said Kwangsoo Hur, President of the APGC, the event's organiser.

"Showcasing this region's top players is an incredible opportunity, both for the entrants in the field and the overall growth of the game. A new champion will emerge from this event that will, in time, help inspire others to dream of competing at the sport's highest level."

The field was determined by inviting the top two ranked amateur players from each of the APGC member countries plus the four top ranked players from the host country, as ranked on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) as of 14 August 2009.

If there was not a sufficient number of players ranked from a member country, the member country nominated a player(s) from their country with an established handicap of less than 5.4, to be approved by the APGC, to fulfil the two positions eligible from that country.

The remainder of the field was filled by taking the next highest ranked players of APGC member countries, not otherwise qualified from the WAGR as of 14 August 2009. The maximum number of eligible players from any APGC member country, with the exception of the host country, was six.

On Thursday 29 October and Friday 30 October, tee times are scheduled for 7:00-08:21 and 10:51-12:12 off the first and 10th tees, but subject to change. After 36 holes, a cut will be made to the top 60 players and ties.

On Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, tee times will run from 07:30-12:09 off the first tee. More than 150 countries will see television coverage of the Asian Amateur Championship, with programming that includes two hours of event exposure during the third and final rounds with Peter Oosterhuis as lead commentator. In addition, 30-minute highlight shows will follow the first, second and final rounds.

The broadcasts will be aired on ESPN Star (Asia), Guangdong Golf Channel (China), Tokyo Broadcasting System (Japan), ESPN International (Latin America, Northern Africa and the Middle East), SuperSport (Southern Africa), Network Ten (Australia), Sky New Zealand, CNBC Europe and ESPN2 (United States).

Last month, IBM, KFC, Rolex and Zurich Financial Services, Inc. were named the event's sponsors, adding to the support already being provided by the Masters Tournament and The R&A.

For more information on the Asian Amateur Championship, including the latest news from Mission Hills, live scoring and a selection of video features, please visit www.asianamateurchampionship.com.