• In 2005, South African, Ernie Els won by 13 shots. It was not only the biggest winning margin of the 2005 European Tour season, but the second biggest in European Tour history. Only Tiger Woods, who claimed the 2000 US Open Championship by 15 strokes, has recorded a bigger victory.
• The 2004 BMW Asian Open created a piece of European Tour history, with the first European Tour event held on the Chinese mainland, at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club in Shanghai, won by Miguel Angel Jiménez. This week’s event will be the 14th European Tour tournament to be staged on the country’s mainland.
• January 5th 2004 saw Jiménez celebrate his 40th birthday. This proved to be his most successful year on The European Tour, winning four times, including the BMW Asian Open. In total the Spaniard has amassed six titles since turning 40 – the most of any player in European Tour history. Mack McNulty is next with five, with Bernhard Langer and Sam Torrance on four.
