Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño will be hoping the ‘honeymoon period’ continues in Shanghai as he defends his BMW Asian Open title this week at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.
Fernandez-Castaño lines up against some of the world’s best golfers including Major Champions John Daly, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, the 2006 European Tour Player of the Year, Paul Casey of England, and eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie of Scotland.
Twelve months ago Fernandez-Castaño celebrated his victory by announcing to the world he was going to propose to then girlfriend, Alicia, and six months later they were duly married.
And the first thing they did as a married couple was jump on a plane to Shanghai to compete in the HSBC Champions. Now they are back in town again looking to renew their fond acquaintance with the city.
“My wife is with me for the week and I hope we enjoy our week in Shanghai,” said Fernandez-Castaño.
“It is always nice to defend a title and Alicia will be here with me which makes it very special. We got married a week after the Volvo Masters and the first thing we did as a married couple was come to Shanghai for the HSBC Champions. We both love this place and I hope to make this a special week if I play well.”
The previous year Fernandez-Castaño had won his first title in The KLM Open in The Netherlands and the second win further identified him a one of Europe’s top young golfers.
“The second victory on Tour always means a lot,” he said. “The first victory can be a surprise or a lucky break but a second victory showed I belong here on Tour. It helped me to believe.”
The course has a new layout for the 2007 BMW Asian Open, with the old 15th hole now playing as the 18th, and Fernandez-Castaño expects another tough test.
“The holes which used to be the 16th and 17th, which we will play as the tenth and 11th this year, stand out as two of the key holes and they were certainly really difficult finishing holes. This year we will finish on what was the 15th which is not going to be such a tough final hole but it depends on the wind. If it is windy, as it can often be in Shanghai, every hole is a test.
“I have great memories, of course, of a great week. It is a tough test and it is important to put the ball in the fairway. Although the rough is not that high, there are a lot of trees very close together so if you miss a fairway you are going to be in trouble. It is difficult to get a swing
“I don’t hit many drivers out there as it is important to place the ball on the right side of the fairway. If you don’t take many risks off the tee and putt well I think you can score.”
Goosen, twice a winner of the US Open, is likely to be among the leading challengers as he looks to put aside the disappointment of finishing joint runner-up at 2007 Masters Tournament by winning on his BMW Asian Open debut.
Goosen survived the cut on the mark of eight over par at Augusta National, which left him a massive ten shots behind the leaders at the halfway stage. However, he bounced back with Saturday’s low round of two under par 70, before charging into the lead after nine holes on Sunday at Augusta. His challenge just fell short, though, as he finished two shots behind winner Zach Johnson, in joint second with Tiger Woods and Rory Sabbatini.
“This is my first time at the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai and I’m very much looking forward to it,” said the South African. “BMW has been such a great part of The European Tour for a long time and they always put up world-class events.”
Europeans have won every edition of the BMW Asian Open except for 2005 when Els stormed to a 13 stroke victory at this week’s venue.
The BMW Asian Open, co-sanctioned by The European Tour, Asian Tour and the Chinese Golf Association, carries a prize fund of $2.3 million.
