HSBC Champions to become official PGA Tour event in 2013

• By Will Gray
• Nov 4, 2012 9:40 AM ET

As part of a revamped calendar for next year, the PGA Tour announced that the WGC-HSBC Champions will become an official Tour event and a member of the FedEx Cup schedule in 2013. 

The event is currently the only one of the four WGC events not fully recognized by the PGA Tour. Money earned in the event does not count toward a player's official money total, and a win is considered an official PGA Tour victory only if the winner is already a Tour member.

Starting next year, that will change. Prize money will increase from $7 million to $8.5 million, bringing it in line with the purses for the three U.S.-based WGC events. Money earned will count toward the official PGA Tour money list, and players will receive full FedEx Cup points, plus a 10 percent premium as a WGC event. Moving forward, winners of the event will also receive a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour, with an opportunity to join the Tour if a non-member at the time of their victory.

"Some of the world's best players have won the HSBC Champions in its short but impressive history," noted PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. "As an official PGA Tour event and part of the FedEx Cup beginning in 2013, that trend will only be enhanced."

As part of the announcement, HSBC extended its title sponsorship through 2015 and tournament officials confirmed a return next year to Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, where the event was staged from 2005-2011. This year, the event moved to the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills Golf Club in Guangdong, where Ian Poulter rallied Sunday for a two-stroke victory. The tournament is scheduled to take place Oct. 28-Nov. 3 next year.