English star Paul Casey will be aiming for a hat-trick of wins in China when he plays in the BMW Asian Open 2006 at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club April 20-23, 2006.
Last year, Casey won the TCL Classic in March by beating Paul McGinley at the second play-off hole at the Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, Hainan Island. Eight months later, he collected another win on Chinese soil by winning the Volvo China Open at Shenzhen Golf Club in Jiangsu, again in a play-off, this time edging out fellow Englishman Oliver Wilson to collect his fifth European Tour title.
With China being such a happy hunting ground for him, it is no wonder that Casey is looking forward to the BMW Asian Open 2006.
“This will be my sixth visit to China in the past three years and my third visit in the last six months,” said Casey, currently ranked world number 59. “I always look forward to playing in BMW events as we, the players, are extremely well looked after.
“I’m very happy with my game at present. I have been working hard since the start of the year and can sense that things are not too far away from clicking nicely into place. China has been very kind to me this past year so I will be looking to keep that run going.”
While Casey will be gunning for a third straight win in China, German Alex Cejka will be hoping to collect his 12th career victory at the BMW Asian Open 2006.
“I really enjoyed playing last year’s BMW Asian Open,” said Cekja. “I am really looking forward to returning this year and renewing my friendship with the people at BMW. I am playing quite well at present but not getting the results I would normally expect. I hope that in China I can turn my season around.”
The BMW Asian Open 2006 is tri-sanctioned by The European Tour, the China Golf Association and the Asian Tour and it offers a minimum of US$1.5 million in prize money. Among the star players confirmed are eight-time European Number One Colin Montgomerie, current European Tour Order of Merit leader David Howell, current World Number ten Luke Donald, BMW Asian Open 2004 winner Miguel Angel Jiménez, six-time Major winner Nick Faldo, Danish ace Thomas Björn and China’s top ranked professional golfer Zhang Lian-wei.
Both Casey and Cejka believed that this year’s BMW Asian Open will see a tight contest.
“It is our third time in Shanghai, so there will be a number of players feeling confident about their chances on a familiar course,” said Casey, who was also a member of Europe’s record-breaking Ryder Cup Team and England’s winning World Cup team in 2004.
Cejka added: “The depth of talent in today’s golf and on the Asian and European Tours is great. There are so many great golfers attending this year’s BMW Asian Open and it’s a lovely course to play on. Still, I hope to claim my fifth European Tour title in Shanghai come April.”
Besides the appearance of European and Asian Tour stars, two members of the BMW China Junior Golf team will get an opportunity to test their potential against some world-class players in this year’s BMW Asian Open.
BMW announced its partnership with the Chinese Golf Association to sponsor the BMW China Junior Golf Team last July. The team consists of 21 promising Chinese youths aged between 11 to 17 years old and trained in the United States in February. The names of the two BMW China Junior golfers who will play in the BMW Asian Open will be announced on March 23.
BMW was the Official Car of January’s Royal Trophy team competition in Thailand and is the Official Car to The 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club in Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland, in September. BMW is also partner of the most renowned golf tournament on the European Tour, the BMW Championship, at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, from May 25-28, 2006.
