BMW GOLF CUP INTERNATIONAL 2008: Successful premiere in land of the Gauchos. Argentina's golfing heroes Eduardo and Andrés Romero give exclusive golf clinic to 141 amateurs at the World Final.

Argentina's golfing heroes Eduardo and Andrés Romero give exclusive golf clinic
to 141 amateurs at the World Final.

Buenos Aires. This year's World Final of the largest international golf series
for amateurs, the 2008 BMW Golf Cup International, was played out in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. The winners of the final tournament, which was held in South
America for the first time, are Florence Luron (Mauritius, Ladies), Eduardo
Izbaile (Mexico, Men A) and Alain Desmurger (France, Men B). In the National
Team Category, the team from Mexico was victorious, finishing ahead of Taiwan
and Paraguay. Directly after the final putt on the 18th Green of the famous
Jockey Club, the sporting part of the World Clinic was drawn to a close with a
golf clinic. This allowed Argentina's top golfer Andrés Romero to demonstrate
his extraordinary skill. Accompanied by his famous compatriot and namesake
Eduardo, the two professional golfers rode in as traditional Gauchos.

"The visit from Andrés and Eduardo Romero was the highlight of a magnificent
event," said Dr. Kay Segler, Head of Region Importers BMW Group, in Buenos
Aires. "Successful Argentinean golfers like the two Romeros, Angel Cabrera and
Roberto de Vicenzo are proof that golf is on the up in this country. South
America is a prospering region and an important market for BMW. For this
reason, I am delighted to see the World Final make its premiere in this
fascinating South American country."

The event took place in ideal conditions on the two challenging courses at the
Jockey Club. Last weekend's rain had helped the fairways and greens, then just
in time for the start of the tournament the clouds parted to reveal a bright
blue sky over Buenos Aires. The 141 world finalists from 49 countries put on an
excellent show over three 18-hole rounds.

Andrés Romero, who gave tips on how to improve one's swing and revealed his
strategic game for decisive situations, was also thrilled by the high standard
of play at the World Final. The current number 32 in the world presented the
trophies at the closing gala dinner, and expressed his opinion: "The amateur
game is very important for the development of golf. There would not be any
professionals without amateurs. They, and the sponsors, are the ones that
support the sport. BMW is one of the largest partners of golf around the world
- including the amateur scene. For this reason, it is very important for the
golfing enthusiasts in Argentina that an event like this has been held here."

Magnus Wiese, head of BMW Golfsport Marketing, was also more than happy about
the venue for the 2008 World Final: "Buenos Aires is a fascinating city, and
the Argentineans are great hosts. We have felt very at home, and were able to
offer the world finalists a unique experience in a fascinating environment and
relaxed atmosphere. It is always impressive to see people from so many
countries make contact with each other, and to watch international friendships
develop."

BMW attaches just as much importance to the social aspects as it does the golf
itself, and the World Final traditionally offers a fascinating support
programme. The highlights of this year's event were the "Tigre Delta Tour", on
which participants explored the subtropical delta of the Parana River in
traditional wooden boats, a tango dinner - must in Buenos Aires, the home of
the world-famous dance - and an exclusive BMW driver training session. Under
the guidance of trained instructors from BMW Argentina, the participants were
able to drive and experience the dynamics of the BMW 320si, and to learn how to
combine sheer driving pleasure with greater safety on the roads.

After an unforgettable week in Buenos Aires, the world finalists now head back
to their homelands with many fantastic memories. The BMW Golf Cup International
World Final is a worthy end to 2008, which has been full of highlights for BMW
Golfsport.

For copyright-free photos, please visit:
www.bmw-golfsport-images.com

BMW Golf Cup International - Final Results.

Men Category A - Top Ten.
Single - Stableford; 54 Holes.

Rank Name, First Name Country HCP R1 R2 R3 Total

1 Izbaile, Eduardo Mexico 11 41 37 33 111
2 Singh, Rudratej India 10 35 38 35 108
3 Dueck, Jeremy Canada 6 35 39 33 107
4 Osborne, Chris United Kingdom 12 45 25 33 103
5 Schickele, Alban Belgium 5 33 38 31 102
6 Lane, Robert Bahrain 4 31 39 29 99
6 Sato, Yuichi Japan 9 32 34 33 99
6 Cataldo Carrizo, Hugo Paraguay 9 3 34 32 99
9 Ortiz, Enrique Chile 12 33 38 27 98
10 Ali, Ahamad Trinidad & Tobago 7 37 33 25 95
10 Pieterse, Colville South Africa 7 41 31 23 95

Men Category B - Top Ten.
Single - Stableford; 54 Holes.

Rank Name, First Name Country HCP R1 R2 R3 Total

1 Desmurger, Alain France 20 36 36 40 112
2 Loor, Karl Russia 22 33 34 40 107
3 Ettl, Thomas Germany 23 35 36 35 106
4 Geck, Robert New Zealand 28 39 27 39 105
5 Chang, Chia Lin Taiwan 13 31 39 34 104
5 Tuukkanen, Hannu Finland 16 32 35 37 104
5 Ghezzi, Danilo Brazil 21 34 32 38 104
8 El-Dakhakhny, Mohamed Egypt 21 35 34 34 103
9 Padiglioni, Riccardo Italy 21 33 32 37 102
10 Morales, Jose Paraguay 18 33 33 33 99

Ladies - Top Ten.
Single - Stableford; 54 Holes.

Rank Name, First Name Country HCP R1 R2 R3 Total

1 Luron, Florence Mauritius 25 37 39 35 111
2 Jitwises, Prim Thailand 16 45 31 32 108
3 Chou, Hsiu Chen Taiwan 23 36 38 33 107
4 Voswinckel, Monika Brazil 19 37 37 30 104
5 Valencia, Livier Mexico 16 37 27 38 102
6 Reeka, Ellen Spain 24 32 35 34 101
7 Mino, Tokiko Australia 9 37 30 31 98
8 El-Halawani, Amina Egypt 21 37 32 28 97
9 Seo, Hye Lee Guatemala 17 37 21 38 96
10 Szymura, Emma United Kingdom 9 35 33 27 95
10 Bhattia, Madhu Dubai 19 43 25 27 95

National Team Category - Top Ten.

1st Mexico 307 pts.
2nd Taiwan 301 pts.
3rd Paraguay 291pts.
4th Australia 289 pts.
5th United Kingdom 288 pts.
6th Brazil 285 pts.
7th Finland 284 pts.
7th Japan 284 pts.
9th Belgium 282pts.
10th Egypt 281 pts.
10th Germany 281 pts.

BMW Golf Cup International 2008: Interview with Andrés Romero.
"BMW is one of the most important sponsors of golf."

To round off the World Final in Buenos Aires, Argentinean pro Andrés Romero
joined his compatriot and namesake Eduardo to give an exclusive golf clinic. In
the evening they presented the trophies at the celebratory gala dinner to close
the event. In an interview, the 27-year-old talks about amateur golf, his
recipe for success, and his goals for the coming season.

Andrés Romero, it will be a special experience for the competitors at the BMW
Golf Cup International World Final to receive tips from you. Is amateur golf
important to you?
Andrés Romero: "Amateurs golf is, for me, extremely important for the sport.
There wouldn't be professionals without amateurs. They and the sponsors support
the game."

For the first time, the world final is being held in your home country,
Argentina. The country currently boasts two world-class pros: yourself and
Angel Cabrera. How do you assess the development of the sport in Argentina?
Romero: "Argentina is the most important golfing country in South America. One
of the reasons is the high quality of Argentine professionals playing all
around the world. Of course Angel and I gave an important "push" to the
development of golf in Argentina, but there are also about 50 Argentine
professionals playing on different tours who also help to promote the sport."

Has an international tournament series for amateurs, such as the BMW Golf Cup
International, got what it takes to increase the popularity of the sport?
Romero: "BMW is known as one of the most important sponsors of golf all around
the world - not only in the professional field, but also for amateurs - so it
is very important for the local golfers to receive such an important event."

You play at tournaments all over the world and get to know people from the most
diverse cultures. The world final is also contested by participants from 49
different nations, brought together by a shared passion for their sport. Do you
enjoy this aspect of golf?
Romero: "Everyday I have important experiences travelling and meeting new
people from different countries. I am sure this will be another exiting
opportunity for all of us to welcome players from so many countries. I am also
sure that all they will enjoy visiting our country."

The world final will be held on the Jockey Club's 'Red' and 'Blue' courses. How
would you characterise these two courses and what tips can you give the
finalists?
Romero: "My advice to the new finalist is to be patient. The course is
fantastic, but you must be concentrated to fight against it. Do not be
aggressive at the Jockey Club. Just wait for the moment to attack. It has been
voted as the best golf course in South America by professionals."

Let's talk about preparation: you often secure particularly good results at the
Majors, and in your first year on the PGA Tour you succeeded in winning a
tournament right away. What is your approach to, such important events? What is
your recipe for success?
Romero: "I enjoy the challenge of playing the Majors too much. They give me a
special motivation. I don't have a different preparation for Majors than for
other tournaments. My mind works differently during those weeks."

You have had an excellent golfing year. What goals have you set yourself for
2009?
Romero: "My goals for 2009 are to win a Major and to arrive at Dubai in the
best position possible."

In 2008, you finished sixth in the European Tour's "Flagship Tournament", the
BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and were one of only 70 PGA Tour pros that
qualified for the BMW Championship. Will the European golfing enthusiasts have
the chance to witness Andrés Romero teeing up for the BMW golf events again in
2009?
Romero: "Of course I will attend the European BMW events in 2009. I am planning
to play both the BMW PGA Championship and the European Tour."

As you say on your website, the BMW X5 is your favourite car. What features
give you that much driving pleasure when sitting at the wheel of this vehicle?
Romero: "Everybody knows that cars are one of my hobbies. For that reason I am
very demanding when I buy a car. The BMW X5 is an extremely confident,
comfortable and exciting car to drive."

Further Information:

Nicole Stempinsky
BMW Sport Communication
Tel.: +49-89-382-51 58 4
Mobile: +49-151-174 177 25
Nicole.Stempinsky@bmw.de
www.press.bmwgroup.com

For copyright-free photos, please visit: www.bmw-golfsport-images.com