Asian stars to rev it up in Shanghai

Asia's Visa Dynasty Cup team heroes are looking forward to head-to-head duels with some of the world's best players including world number three Ernie Els and young guns Luke Donald and Paul Casey in the US$1.5 million BMW Asian Open next week.

Chinese trailblazer Zhang Lian-wei, Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee, Indian star Jyoti Randhawa and Singapore's Mardan Mamat were amongst the Asian team players who trounced a Shigeki Maruyama-led Japan by five points last week.

After the team's success, the Asian Tour stalwarts will now be gunning for individual glory in the BMW-sponsored event, which is staged for the second successive year at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.

The self-taught Zhang, Asia's outstanding performer with six wins now in as many matches in the Dynasty Cup series, said that Asian Tour players have proven once again that they could match the world's leading players.

A return to the BMW Asian Open at the impressive Tomson course will give Zhang plenty of confidence as he finished tied fifth in last year's event, six shots behind winner Miguel Angel Jimenes of Spain. Jimenez has also confirmed his title defence.

The BMW Asian Open is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

"Beating Japan for the second time shows that the Asian Tour golfers are very good now. It has given us a boost and I'm looking forward to playing in the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai," said Zhang. "The Tomson course is always in good condition and I think it suits my style of play as you've got to think your way round the course.

"The BMW event will parade another strong field and it's good for the Asian players as it is another opportunity to test our games at the highest level," said Zhang, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour.

Other big-name players hoping to drive away with the BMW Asian Open title include Danish star Thomas Bjorn, former British Open champion Paul Lawrie, seven-time European Tour number one Colin Montgomerie and six-time Major winner Nick Faldo.

The other Asian team members who savoured victory against Japan and will tee up in Shanghai are Korea's Mo Joong-kyung, Chinese upcoming star Liang Wen-chong, Thailand's Thammanoon Srirot, Boonchu Ruangkit, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prayad Marksaeng, India's Amandeep Johl and Filipino Angelo Que, who secured the winning point for Asia in the Visa Dynasty Cup.

The smooth-swinging Prayad is hoping to take another crack at the BMW Asian Open as he came agonisingly close to winning the event last year. The slightly built Thai star had led by two strokes after 11 holes on the Sunday afternoon but slipped to an eventual third place after bogeying four of his closing six holes.

"I hope to play well again in Shanghai. Last year I had a good chance to win it but I made some mistakes coming down the stretch. We've all had a huge lift in confidence after beating Japan and I'm looking forward to the next few big events," said Prayad.

The talented Donald and Casey, who were in the victorious European Ryder Cup team last year, have come of age in the golfing world. Donald has tasted victory on the ultra-competitive US PGA Tour and won twice on the European Tour last year.

Casey also teamed up with Donald to win the World Cup for England last year and he will be looking to win his second title of the year in China following his triumph in the TCL Classic in Sanya in March.

April 22, 2005

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