BMW Asian Open 2008 confirms all-star line-up

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Shanghai, CHINA -- The BMW Asian Open will once again feature a stellar line-up of world-class golfers as it tees off at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club from April 24-27.

Greg Norman at the 2007 South African Airways Open (Little/Getty Images)

The $2.3 million tournament will include three Majors champions -- Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell and Greg Norman as well as European aces Henrik Stenson and Miguel Angel Jiménez and defending champion Raphaël Jacquelin. However, all eyes will be on Chinese heroes Liang Wen-chong and Zhang Lian-wei as they seek to become the first Chinese players to win the BMW Asian Open.

Commenting on BMW's continued commitment to bringing the passion of golf to Shanghai, Jochen Goller, BMW Vice President of Marketing for BMW Group Region China, said, "BMW is delighted to bring to Shanghai for the fifth year running, the BMW Asian Open, which has earned its reputation as one of the premier events in China.

"As this is an important year for Chinese sports and with Liang Wen-chong's current status as Asia's No. 1 golfer, we have no doubt that the Chinese public will strongly support this tournament and get behind their local heroes as they compete against the world's golfing elite on home soil. "

The BMW Asian Open is sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Chinese Golf Association and European Tour.

China's hopes will no doubt lie with Liang, the first Chinese golfer to win the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, and his mentor Zhang, the country's most celebrated golfer with one European Tour and four Asian Tour titles.

In a stellar 2007 season, Liang won his maiden European Tour and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event at the Singapore Masters in March and notched up eight top-10 finishes en-route to finishing as Asia's number one. Earlier this month, the 29-year-old made the cut at a PGA TOUR event finishing tied for 45th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and he is slated to play in two majors in 2008 -- the Masters Tournament and the British Open.

"While it is a big honor to play in golf's majors, a tournament like the BMW Asian Open is important to all Chinese pros to develop their game and to further promote golf to non-playing fans," said Liang, who played in his first major, the PGA Championship, last year.

"I've enjoyed playing the last four BMW Asian Opens, and I'm aiming for my best-ever result on my fifth trip to Tomson."

China's golfing trailblazer Zhang, the first Chinese player to win on the European Tour and to play in a major continues to be a force to be reckoned with, winning three tournaments on the domestic China Tour last year. His best finish in the BMW Asian Open at Tomson Golf Club was a tie for fifth in 2004, and he will be seeking inspiration from the strong home support to become the first Asian to win the BMW Asian Open.

All the past six BMW Asian Open winners hail from Europe, except for South African Ernie Els, who won in 2004. The others are Sweden's Jarmo Sandelin (2001), Ireland's Padraig Harrington (2002), Miguel Angel Jiménez (2004), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño (2006) and returning champion Raphaël Jacquelin of France, who claimed a memorable start-to-finish victory last year.

Henrik Stenson, meanwhile, will be aiming to erase memories of the BMW Asian Open 2006 when he lost to Fernandez-Castaño in a sudden-death playoff. Last year, Stenson was briefly the top European player on the world rankings at a career-high world number five after winning the Dubai Desert Classic and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The 32-year-old Swede is no stranger to winning BMW tournaments, having won the 2006 BMW International Open in Munich.

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez at the 2008 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (Cannon/Getty Images)

Miguel Angel Jiménez will be hoping to add another BMW tournament title to his collection of 2004 BMW Asian Open and 2004 BMW International Open wins. The charismatic, cigar-loving Spaniard -- who has played in all previous six editions of the BMW Asian Open -- claimed his 14th European title at the Hong Kong Open in November last year.

Retief Goosen, the 2001 and 2004 US Open champion, Michael Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion and Hall of Famer Greg Norman, a two-time British Open champion, have all confirmed their return to Tomson Pudong and golf-loving fans in Shanghai will no doubt relish the chance to watch three major champions in action.

South African Goosen who has won internationally every year since 1995 will be hungry for his 15th European Tour victory and to improve on last year's 15th-place finish at the BMW Asian Open 2007. Campbell, who beat Tiger Woods by two strokes to win the 2005 US Open, will be hoping to claim his 10th European Tour win in Shanghai.

Greg Norman will be playing in only his fifth regular tour event in over two years. Last month, the 52-year-old celebrated his engagement to tennis legend Chris Evert with an impressive seventh place finish at the South African Airways Open, a clear five shots ahead of South African aces Goosen and Ernie Els.

"The fact that a golfing legend like Greg Norman and Major winners like Retief Goosen and Michael Campbell have committed themselves to the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai speaks about the reputation of this tournament," said Tournament Director Marco Kaussler. "The top players have always enjoyed playing here in front of the Shanghai galleries, and we have no doubt that the fans will turn out in full force this year to support them."

In addition to world-class golfing action, spectators at the BMW Asian Open can once again expect an expanded and improved Public Village with an interesting trick golf show, innovative interactive elements like the BMW xRamp and a dazzling display of BMW cars.

As in previous years, BMW China will not charge any entrance fees for the tournament. Instead, BMW and golf enthusiasts can register via a special call-center telephone or by e-mail/internet to receive their personal invitations to the 2008 BMW Asian Open. For those who decide spontaneously to watch the 2008 BMW Asian Open, access will be granted by registration at the main entrance at Tomson Golf Club.