Top class field for big BMW Asian Open prize

The 2007 BMW Asian Open promises another star-studded field with the presence of South African Major champions Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, Scotsman Colin Montgomerie, England’s Paul Casey and Chinese stalwarts Zhang Lian-wei and Liang Wen-chong who will all battle for honours from April 19-22.

With an increased prize purse of US$2.3 million this year, the BMW Asian Open is again attracting some of the world’s best golfers to Shanghai which will also include defending champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño of Spain and also American John Daly.

The top guns from Asia and Europe will tee off on the 7,340 yard championship course at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.

The BMW Asian Open, the first tri-sanctioned event by the Chinese Golf Association, Asian Tour and European Tour to be played in China, is extending its commitment to bringing world–class golf action to China through the 2008 season.

Commenting on the all-star field confirmed for 2007 and BMW’s continued commitment to bringing golf excitement to the people of Shanghai, Mr Jochen Goller, BMW Vice President, Marketing for BMW Group Region China, said: “BMW is delighted to extend its strong engagement in golf here in China, one of our most important markets worldwide, by hosting the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai for 2007 and 2008. Given the best ever players’ field in this year’s tournament, BMW and golf enthusiasts in China can again expect a thrilling competition at one of Shanghai’s best sporting and lifestyle event of the year.”

Headlining this year’s challenge is 2005 champion Els who currently lies in fourth place in the world golf rankings and third place on the European Tour Order of Merit. A three-time major winner, Els has more than 50 victories worldwide and has won the World Match Play Championships a record six times. He also won the European Tour Order of Merit in 2003 and 2004.

Joining the ‘The Big Easy’ is compatriot and two-time US Open champion Goosen, who kicked off his season last month with a spectacular come-from-behind win at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. His heroics in Doha earned him January’s European Tour Player of the Month award and he now lies second on the current European Tour Order of Merit. The current world number five is coming off a spectacular 2006 season when he carded 15 top-10 finishes. The South African has enjoyed strong success in China winning the China Masters and finishing tied third at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last season. He also finished joint second at the BMW International Open in 2006.

Returning to defend his title is Fernandez-Castaño who broke through in Shanghai last year after finishing second in the China Open the week preceding the BMW Asian Open. At the BMW Asian Open 2006, Fernandez-Castaño fended off a play-off challenge from Henrik Stenson of Sweden to win with a seven-under-par 281. Fernandez-Castaño continues the tradition of top Spanish golfers at the BMW Asian Open, becoming the second Spaniard to win the event after Miguel Angel Jiménez in 2004.

Hoping to make a big impact in his first visit to the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai is long-driver extraordinaire Daly who shot to fame with his inspirational victory during his rookie season in the 1991 PGA Championship after entering the tournament as the ninth and final alternate. Four years later, he won his second major title at The Open Championship at St. Andrews. Daly particularly enjoys BMW tournaments, winning the BMW International Open in 2001 and finishing tied second spot at the same event in 2005.

Joining these legends are Chinese favourites Zhang and Liang. Zhang will be looking to the adoring galleries in Shanghai to inspire a return to his 2005 form when he finished joint seventh place at the China Open and third at the China Masters. Liang, the current leader on the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit, is China’s hottest golfer at the moment. After recording eight top-10 finishes in 2006, including a fourth placed finish at the Singapore Open, Liang was Asia’s best finisher in Doha when he finished joint ninth last month.

Expressing his hopes for success at the BMW Asian Open 2007, Zhang said: “All of the top Chinese players appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate our skills and compete against the world’s best players in front of our home galleries. I am very excited to be returning to Shanghai for the BMW Asian Open 2007 and I want to commend and thank BMW for continuing its deep commitment to the development of golf in China.”

Crowd favourites at last year’s BMW Asian Open Casey and Scotland’s Montgomerie, meantime, are back to thrill the galleries. Casey won last month’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for his fourth European title in just 27 starts. He has climbed to a career high world number 14 on the Official World Golf Rankings and fifth place on the European Tour Order of Merit. The 29-year-old finished in a tie for fifth place at last year’s BMW Asian Open, joint sixth at the HSBC Champions and tied fourth at the China Open on the way to being named the European Tour’s 2006 Player of the Year. He also won the China Open and TCL Classic in 2005.

“Monty” as he is known to legions of fans worldwide is currently 19th in the world and 26th on the European Tour Order of Merit. He came agonizingly close to capturing an elusive first Major Championship in the 2006 US Open and finished runner-up behind Tiger Woods in the 134th Open Championship at St. Andrews. Monty captured a record eighth European Tour Order of Merit title in 2005 and last year became the first European to play in five successful Ryder Cup teams.

With the galleries growing annually at the BMW Asian Open, one of China’s most accessible and best attended golf tournaments, the organisers and the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club have made some notable adjustments to the course in 2007.

Tournament Director Marco Kaussler commented on the course changes saying: “To accommodate the continuously growing number of spectators, Tomson Golf Club and the organisers jointly decided that the championship course’s 15th hole will be the new 18th hole for the BMW Asian Open 2007. For players and spectators alike, the new 18th hole will make the perfect finish to the BMW Asian Open as it can now be played in front of larger audiences, enhancing the exciting and climactic atmosphere of world-class professional golf for the fans in Shanghai.”

Following its philosophy over the last few years, BMW China will again not charge any entrance fees for the tournament but instead BMW and golf enthusiasts could register via a special Call-Center, telephone and also email/internet to receive their personal invitation to the BMW Asian Open 2007.

In addition to its commitment to delivering world class golfsport action to China, BMW has increased the prize purse for the BMW Asian Open to USD 2.3 Million in 2007. With the eyes of the golfing world firmly fixed on the action at the BMW Asian Open and the increased prize purse, the tournament will attract even more legendary players in the future, adding to the BMW Asian Open honor roll of winners that includes Jarmo Sandelin, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Els and Fernandez-Castaño.

February 7, 2007

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