Venetian Macao Open 2016 will be hosted by the scenic Macau Golf & Country Club from 13^th to 16^th October on its ocean-side links, with 114 players participating in the competition for a purse of US$1.1 million, the most in any professional golf tournament on the Asian Tour this year.

World number 13 Branden Grace and 2014 Venetian Macao Open Champion Anirban Lahiri will join a host of other internationally ranked players, including 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke, in an attempt to usurp Australia's reigning champion Scott Hend.

South African Grace, who has risen over 100 places in the world rankings after a solid season that includes two tournament wins and two top-five finishes in the Majors, will contest the championship for the first time in Macao. Hend has held firm to become only the second player to win the prestigious tournament twice, with China golf pioneer Zhang Lian-wei achieving the feat in 2011 and 2012. Indian star Lahiri, winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2015, has been Hend's arch rival over the last three years so there are great expectations for this tournament.

Inaugurated in 1998, The Venetian Macao became title sponsor of the tournament in 2012 and since then has seen it develop into one of the most prestigious professional golf tournaments in the region. For more details of the Macao Open, please visit: http://thevenetianmacaoopen.com.