The European Tour’s Final Series kicks off this week with the BMW Masters that starts on Thursday. The event will be played on the Masters course at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, China, which was designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and opened for play in 2011.
This tournament is on its third edition and is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Chinese Golf Association.
On the inaugural edition, Sweden’s Peter Hanson bogeyed the final hole, but managed to hang on and win by one stroke over World No. 1 Rory McIlroy. Last season, Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano closed with a four-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Francesco Molinari of Italy and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.
Fernandez-Castano is back to defend his title this year, and while the 78-player field is a strong one, it will be missing the Top Three Players in the Race to Dubai rankings and only 10 of the Top 15 will tee it off.
The World’s No. 1 and Race to Dubai leader, Rory McIlroy, revealed last week that he would be skipping both the BMW Masters and the subsequent WGC-HSBC Champions event in order to prepare for his forthcoming court appearance in the legal dispute with his former management company.
World’s No. 4 and Race to Dubai No. 2, Sergio Garcia, along with Lee Westwood and Paul Casey are competing at the PGA Tour's CIMB Classic. Meanwhile, the World’s No. 5 and Race to Dubai No. 3, Henrik Stenson, is skipping the tournament due to the arrival of his third child with his wife Emma.
The race to secure a place among the all-important Top 15, which ensures a share of the $5 million bonus pool, will be in full force this weekend, as the players in the bubble and below try to scramble for position.
The field is topped by seven members of winning Ryder Cup European Team, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Victor Dubuisson, Thomas Bjørn, Jamie Donaldson and Stephen Gallacher, who will be joined by their Captain, Paul McGinley.
Other notables on the field are Ernie Els, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Joost Luiten, Mikko Ilonen, Thorbjørn Olesen and Americans Chris Kirk, Ryan Palmer, Brooks Koepka and Kevin Stadler.
The European Tour Final Series continues next week in Shanghai with The World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, followed by the Turkish Airlines Open and World Tour Championship in Dubai.
BMW Masters
Venue: Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, China
Date: Oct 30 – Nov 2
Course Stats: par 72, 7,607 yards
Purse: €5,510,000 Winner's Share: €880,000
Defending Champion: Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (-11)
Television Coverage: Tape-Delayed on Golf Channel (Thursday-Saturday, 6-11 a.m.; Sunday, 6-11 a.m., 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.).