SHANGHAI, CHINA. (October 10, 2011)—The inaugural Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters has all the ingredients you would expect of a leading international event - prize money worth five million US dollars (two million dollars for the champion), an all-star lineup and a challenging course.

In its first year, the tournament aims to be an annual 72-hole stroke play men's professional golf event, it has invited top international and domestic players to compete in Shanghai between the 27th to 30th of October, 2011, the week before the established WGC-HSBC Champions.

In addition to the (soon to be confirmed) eight Chinese players, the event announced today that current world #2, Lee Westwood, world #3 and US Open Champion, Rory McIlroy will spearhead the overseas challenge. Englishman Ian Poulter, triple major winner Padraig Harrington from Ireland and victorious Ryder Cup captain and European Tour legend Colin Montgomerie (Scotland) will join the US and European all-star lineup.

One of the most experienced and talented players of his generation, Westwood is the 38-year old Englishman who beat Tiger Woods for the number one position last October.

Up-and-coming star Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland will also be a player to watch. At only 22 years old, he is the youngest player to have won the US Open (June 2011) since Bobby Jones in 1923.

Englishman Ian Poulter has ranked as high as number five in the world. Most recently he was a member of the successful European team, captained by Colin Montgomerie, that won the Ryder Cup. He most recently won the Volvo World Match Play Championship in May.

The assembled field for this month's Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters will also include 2011 US Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel, PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, South African Louis Oosthuizen, and Englishmen Paul Casey.

The Lake Malaren golf course is located in the Luodian North European New Town, Shanghai. The Masters Course, which will host the event, was designed by Jack Nicklaus and his Nicklaus Design team. Spanning 558 acres, the dramatic layout contains numerous elevation changes and valleys.

Both the Lake Malaren golf course and the 2011 Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters are the investment of the SRE Group, a local company listed in Hong Kong that developed properties such as Rich Gate SeaView, Cedar Villa Original, and Bairun Project in Shanghai.

The 72-hole tournament with no cut is organized by the Multi-ball Games Administration Centre of General Administration of Sports, China Golf Association and Sports Council, Shanghai Sports Administration, Baoshan District government, SRE Group, China New Town Development Co. Ltd and CCTV-IMG.