Editor's note: The 2012 WGC-HSBC Golf Champions will be held at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Guangdong from Nov 1 to 4, 2012. China Daily reporter Ma Zhenhuan talks to Grant Slack, senior vice-president of IMG Golf Asia-Pacific, about the future of the sport in China and IMG's involvement in the high-profile event.

Q: As an Olympic sport at the 2016 Rio Games, golf is poised to undergo a period of golden development in Asia - especially China. How will IMG tap this golden opportunity to help nurture the sound and healthy development of golf in China? What's IMG's development plan for golf in China and Asia over the next five years?

A: I believe that the inclusion of golf as part of the 2016 Rio Olympics will continue to raise the sport's profile in China, and as barriers to entry lessen, golf will be well positioned to become more mainstream. IMG will continue to work in popularizing and developing golf, deepening people's understanding of the sport and increasing public interest.