PressClub Global · Article.
BMW Masters: Kick off for the third European Tour Final Series event – Stenson is “looking forward to the challenge”.
Tue Nov 10 08:08:33 CET 2015 Press Release
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The Meet-the-Players press conference of the BMW Masters 2015 was held on Tuesday at the Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai. English golf star Justin Rose, Swedish No.1 Henrik Stenson and professional Chinese players, Wu Ashun and Li Haotong, joined the event and officially kicked off the BMW Masters 2015, the penultimate Final Series tournament on the European Tour calendar of this year.
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Nicole Stempinsky
BMW Group
Shanghai. The Meet-the-Players press conference of
the BMW Masters 2015 was held on Tuesday at the Lake Malaren Golf
Club in Shanghai. English golf star Justin Rose, Swedish No.1 Henrik
Stenson and professional Chinese players, Wu Ashun and Li Haotong,
joined the event and officially kicked off the BMW Masters 2015, the
penultimate Final Series tournament on the European Tour calendar of
this year. The 78 qualified pros fight for a winner’s cheque of
1.166 million US dollars. The total prize money is seven million US dollars.
Ulrich Sanne, Senior Vice President and CFO of BMW China said:
“Golf is a strong pillar within the global BMW sports sponsoring
strategy. BMW golf tournaments around the world reflect our
commitment on a premium level. The 2015 BMW Masters has once again
attracted a high-class field, and we are looking forward to
another stunning tournament week in Shanghai.” Other officials
from the China Golf Association, European Tour, the Shanghai
Sports Bureau, and the Shanghai Baoshan People’s Government were
also present and expressed their best wishes to the players.
Rose and Stenson, as the highest ranked players in the field,
shared their expectations for the forthcoming BMW Masters. Rose
won the U.S. Open in 2013, becoming the first English player to
win this title since Tony Jacklin in 1970. He has won eight times
on the European Tour and PGA Tour in his career, including the
recent UBS Hong Kong Open. He said: “The whole thing is about
getting to Dubai and be in with a chance of finishing No1 in
Europe. If I finish no worse than second this week it will mean I
can control my own destiny in Dubai. I’ve done well here before,
so I’m confident I can put in a good performance.”
Stenson turned pro in 1998. He has won 17 professional
tournaments around the world, including the 2006 BMW International
Open. He had an extraordinary season in 2013 when he became the
first player in history to win both the FedExCup on the PGA TOUR
and the Race to Dubai on the European Tour in the same year.
Stenson finished runner-up in the FedExCup in 2015. “It’s always
nice to be back at a BMW tournament,” he commented. “They are
class events and this one is no different. It’s a good week and
I’m looking forward to getting going. I played pretty well last
week and it’s an indication that I’m heading in the right
direction. Lake Malaren has a good mix of holes. There are some
tough ones, but there are also some birdie and eagle
opportunities. If the breeze gets up it can have quite an impact
here. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The two Chinese pros Wu Ashun and Li Haotong want to make full
use of home advantage. Since emerging on the international scene
in 2008, Wu Ashun has established himself as one of China’s
leading stars, having claimed two victories on the Japanese Tour
and one on the European Tour. The 20-year-old Li Haotong already
has four professional victories to his name and became the first
Chinese golfer to earn his card for the Web.com Tour, in the US.
The BMW Masters 2015 is a valuable opportunity for Chinese players
to push for entry into the Olympic Games next year.
Four junior Chinese players teamed up with the professional
stars and tried to shoot the opening ball through a traditional
Chinese coin, with the mounted bell in the middle that symbolizes
good luck in the Chinese culture.
At the 17th hole, a water-strewn Par 3 measuring 201 yards
(184 metres) sees the most progressive and innovative luxury
sedan: the all-new BMW 7 Series, the hole-in-one prize for the
first player that can record an ace. Launched only a few weeks ago
in China, the all-new BMW 7 Series is not only the perfect prize
for the players, but also stunning eye candy for the crowd.