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Asian Open Draws Star Cast To Shanghai
Feb. 12, 2004
Greg Norman, Alex Cejka, John Daly, Padraig Harrington and Lian-wei Zhang
are among the star players confirmed for the BMW Asian Open, which moves to
mainland China for the first time in its three year history in May.
Harrington will be defending the title at Tomson Golf Club, Shanghai, from
May 13-16 following the Irishman's victory at the Ta Shee Golf and Country
Club, Taiwan, which launched The 2003 European Tour International Schedule.
Daly, winner of two major championship titles, is also a BMW tournament
winner having won the BMW International Open in Germany in 2001 while Cejka
gave the German fans plenty to cheer about last year when he finished
runner-up on home soil in last year's BMW International Open.
Norman, the legendary Great White Shark, will also feature in the $1.5
million BMW Asian Open in 2004. The Australian, twice a winner of the Open
Golf Championship, was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001 and
remains the only golfer to top both the Volvo Order of Merit and the US PGA
Tour money list.
Zhang, China's No. 1 golfer, is another player sure to attract large
galleries at Tomson Golf Club. Zhang made history last season when he
became the first Chinese player in history to win on The European Tour
International Schedule when he finished ahead of Ernie Els to win the
Caltex Masters, presented by Carlsberg, Singapore 2003. He is also no
stranger to success in China having won the Macau Open in 2001 and
successfully defending the following year.
Ulrich Thum, Managing Director, BMW Group Greater China, said, "BMW is
excited to be bringing some of the best professional golfers to China with
the historic first playing of the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai. With its
blend of performance and style, world-class golf shares many similarities
with the world-class automotive engineering of BMW."
On the decision to hold the event in Shanghai, Mr Franz Jung, Senior Vice
President, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd, said, "Among the many dynamic
cities in China, Shanghai stands out for many reasons. Not only is it the
financial and economic center of China, this city is also developing into a
major sporting venue worldwide with its first Formula 1 race this year,
where the BMW Williams F1 team will be involved. For BMW, Shanghai has
evolved to one of the most important regional markets in China, which will
play a key role in the future development of BMW in China."
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