Johannesburg - South Africa’s golfers, with Ernie Els at the forefront, will be hoping for another ‘Chinese take-away’ in the BMW Masters from today at Lake Malaren GC in Shanghai.
On Sunday, SA’s top female golfer Lee-Anne Pace won the Blue Bay Championship in China. That event formed part of the LPGA Tour, co-sanctioned with the Asian Women’s Tour, and it was Pace’s fourth career win on Chinese soil.
The big-money BMW Masters is co-sanctioned by the men’s European and Asian Tours and Els is quietly confident about his chances after a strong fifth place finish in the Hong Kong Open earlier this month. “As it happens it was one of BMW’s sponsored events - the Asian Open in 2005 - that gave me the biggest winning margin of my career, 13 shots, so I obviously have fantastic memories of that week,” he said.
“We’re actually in Shanghai for back-to-back tournaments, because next week it’s the WGC-HSBC event in the city, so we’re hoping for a good fortnight.”
Els is one of seven South Africans in the elite 78-man BMW line-up, and also hoping to get into top gear over the next four days are Darren Fichardt, Hennie Otto, Thomas Aiken, Richard Sterne, Branden Grace and George Coetzee.
Els is drawn in the first round with Justin Rose who has set his sights on a career-high ranking of world No2 over the final events of the year as he headlines a weakended BMW Masters line-up.
The Englishman can further his claims in Shanghai after fifth-ranked Henrik Stenson pulled out, joining world No1 Rory McIlroy on the sidelines.
But Rose believes it might be a step too far to close the gap on McIlroy, who also leads the Race to Dubai, over the European Tour’s ‘Final Series’ of four big-money events.
“I’m not sure I can catch Rory, I haven’t really done the maths 100percent,” Rose said on Wednesday.
“The aim is to strengthen my world ranking as much as possible. If I was to play well and win a few tournaments before the end of the season I could get myself to second place in the world which would be a personal best.”
McIlroy is taking time out to prepare for a multi-million dollar lawsuit with his former management company, and will not play again until the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month.
l In Malaysia, meanwhile, AFP reports that a resurgent Sergio Garcia goes toe-to-toe with US Ryder Cup sensation Patrick Reed at the CIMB Classic beginning today, as reigning FedExCup champion Billy Horschel looks to lift his game to an even higher level.
Garcia, who will be paired with Reed, is enjoying some of his best form in years at 34. The Spaniard has won once in 2014, finished second to McIlroy in the Open Championship in July, and played solidly in Europe’s recent Ryder Cup victory as he returned to the world top 10. Along with Lee Westwood, Garcia and the 24-year-old Reed comprise the premier trio for the first two rounds when they tee off together at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Reed was a revelation in the Ryder Cup where, along with fellow young playing partner Jordan Spieth, he was a rare bright spot for the US in another humbling loss to Europe. Horschel, 27, has also emerged as one of golf’s hottest young talents, clinching the season-long FedExCup crown and its whopping $14-million payday in September. The American said he won’t just “sit back and enjoy” that windfall but is aiming for his first Major win next year and to defend the FedExCup title.
Other contenders include South African Major winners Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.
The Star