If the first event of the Final Series is anything to go by, we are in for a thrilling climax to The 2014 Race to Dubai, with the BMW Masters kicking things off in dramatic fashion at the superb Lake Malaren Golf Club.
The Shangai venue was once again the perfect host to some of the world’s finest players assembled to contest the US$7million tournament, the first in a lucrative four-tournament swing to conclude the 2014 campaign.
For the first three days rising star Alexander Levy of France provided a golfing master-class and took a five-shot lead into the final round, but on a blustery day in the Chinese city, it was Marcel Siem who fared best in the tricky conditions, dismissing the disappointment of a missed five-foot putt on the 72nd hole, which would have given him the title, to see off Levy and Englishman Ross Fisher in a play-off.
Siem’s chip-in from the edge of the green for birdie sent the impressive crowds into raptures, a fitting conclusion to a brilliant week at Lake Malaren, which earned praised across the board for the course set-up and excellent hospitality.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “We could not have hoped for a more exciting start to the Final Series and we are hugely grateful to Lake Malaren Golf Club and BMW for putting on such a marvellous event.
“In particular I’d like to thank Mr Jian Shi, the Chairman of SRE Group and owner of Lake Malaren Golf Club, for hosting such a great tournament. Lake Malaren is a gem of a venue and I heard so many very positive comments from the players, staff and guests.
“It was fitting to have a German winner of a tournament sponsored by BMW, a German company, and well done to Marcel Siem for giving us such an entertaining finish.”
The next three tournaments in the Final Series are the WGC-HSBC Champions, the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry and Youth and Sport and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
