BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 China Amateur Golf Open and the first Junior Golf Invitational in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will open on April 21 in Zhuhai.

This year's tournament consists of eight stages plus a final, up from last year's seven stages. After the Zhuhai leg, the tournament will head to Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, Shandong, Hubei, Sichuan and Hainan, allowing more players to be engaged in this event.

The top-ranked eight players and the winners of all seven legs in 2018 are granted fee-free access to the 2019 competition, while the winners of each 2019 leg will be able to participate in 2020 without paying an entry fee.

Organizers say the golfers' ranking points accrued at this tournament will be included in the China Amateur Golf Ranking and World Amateur Golf Ranking. Meanwhile, the winners of each stage will also qualify for the China Golf Tour.

The new season has also seen the competition grow from a total 36 holes over two rounds, to 54 holes over three rounds, further challenging the players' quality and stamina.

As the country's oldest amateur golf tournament, the China Amateur Golf Open has witnessed first-hand the booming development of golf in China. Over its 33-year history, the tournament has provided amateur golfers with a high-level platform for them to compete from.

Many of China's best golfers, including Zhang Lianwei, Feng Shanshan, Liang Wenchong, Li Haotong and Guan Tianlang, first displayed their talents at this tournament, later becoming internationally known.