Fernandez-Castano aims for BMW Asian repeat

Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is looking to renew his love-affair with the city of Shanghai when he defends his BMW Asian Open title against a star-studded line-up starting on Thursday.

Twelve months ago, Fernandez-Castano celebrated his play-off victory at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club by announcing to the world he was proposing to his girlfriend Alicia.

They got married in November and subsequently returned to Shanghai a week later for their honeymoon where the swashbuckling Spaniard featured in the HSBC Champions. With his wife accompanying him for the trip to the Far East again, Fernandez-Castano is looking to rekindle his winning form.

"I have great memories. Walking the back nine this morning, I could remember every shot that I hit during the final round. It was good. Playing with Henrik Stenson in the last round and beating him in a play-off was very special as I hung in there till the end," said Fernandez-Castano.

No player has successfully defended the BMW Asian Open, which is offering a record US$2.3 million purse this week, since the event was inaugurated in 2001. Fernandez-Castano will face a strong cast that includes South African stars Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, Europe's 2006 Player of the Year, Paul Casey of England, American John Daly and eight-time European number one Colin Montgomerie of Scotland.

Asia's challenge in the co-sanctioned event will be led by China's Liang Wen-chong and Zhang Lian-wei as well as all the top-10 players on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit.

Fernandez-Castano feels right at home at the Tomson course which has reconfigured five holes for the 2007 BMW Asian Open, with the most notable being the previous 15th hole now playing as the 18th.

"Shanghai is a special town for me and I wanted Alicia to come here this week as it's not very often you're at a tournament as the defending champion. We both love this place," said Fernandez-Castano, whose win last year was his second career title.

"Winning was special as it is confirmation that you really belong on Tour and you're good enough to play here against the big names. It's a very strong field this week and it's going to be difficult trying to defend my title. But I'm going to try my best.

"I've struggled a bit since my last victory and my results haven't been what everybody expected. But it's only my third year on Tour and I feel I'm getting more experience every year and that my game is getting better. If I keep the hard work going, I will keep improving."

World number eight Goosen will looking to thwart the Spaniard as he eyes a third title in China in his BMW Asian Open debut. The smooth-swinging South African, a two-time US Open champion, is in good form after enjoying a joint second finish in the Masters two weeks ago.

"I've done well in the times I've played in China. I enjoy coming over and we certainly play on good courses and the main thing here is that I feel comfortable coming over here to play," said Goosen.

After making the halfway cut at Augusta National right on the number, Goosen charged up the leaderboard with a third round 70 for the day's best and led on the back nine on Sunday before American Zach Johnson pushed on for victory.

"It was positive," said Goosen. "It was negative after the first two rounds but I played well at the weekend and got my game going which gives it a positive sort of boost for the events coming up."

Montgomerie has made the trip to the BMW Asian Open in an attempt to improve on last year's third place where he finished one stroke outside the play-off. "You can think of one shot you can save every three holes, let alone over 72 holes so that is one of the reasons I have come back here, to try and do better," said the Ryder Cup stalwart.

The big Scot feels the par-72, 7,326 yard Tomson course suits his game to a tee. "It is a good driving course. Although there is not much rough, the trees are quite tight to the fairways and the ball runs into them.

"It is a demanding driving course and therefore I should do quite well as I drive the ball pretty straight, straighter than the norm and therefore if I can get my irons and putter going, we have a chance," he said.

Zhang, China's greatest player, predicts more youngsters in the mould of Liang, winner of the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters in March, will start breaking through the ranks. "I don't think it'll be long before more Chinese players win world class events on the Asian Tour and European Tour.

"To our home players, the BMW Asian Open is a window to the world. As professional players, there's always pressure. It's part of the job," said Zhang, who was fifth in the 2004 BMW Asian Open.

This week, a BMW X5 is on offer to the first player who shoots a hole-in-one at the par three, 216-yard 14th hole during the tournament.

April 17, 2007

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