BMW Asian Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Shanghai, China |
| Established | 2001 |
| Tour(s) |
Asian Tour European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $2,300,000 |
| Month played | April |
| Final year | 2008 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 262 Ernie Els (2005) |
| To par | −26 Ernie Els (2005) |
| Final champion | |
 Darren Clarke | |
The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular.
The first two editions were held at Ta Shee Golf and Country Club in Taiwan, before the tournament was moved to the People's Republic of China in 2004, since when it was played at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club in Pudong, Shanghai.
In 2005 Ernie Els set a new Asian Tour record for the biggest margin of victory when he triumphed by 13 strokes.[1] In 2008 the prize fund was $2.3 million, an increase of more than fifty percent from the 2006 fund of $1.5 million.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 (2008) | Darren Clarke | Northern Ireland | 280 | −8 | 1 stroke |  Robert-Jan Derksen | [2] |
| 2007 (2007) | Raphaël Jacquelin |  France | 278 | −10 | 2 strokes |  Søren Kjeldsen | [3] |
| 2006 (2006) | Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño |  Spain | 281 | −7 | Playoff (1st hole) |  Henrik Stenson | [4] |
| 2005 (2005) | Ernie Els |  South Africa | 262 | −26 | 13 strokes |  Simon Wakefield | [5] |
| 2004 (2004) | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | Spain | 274 | −14 | 3 strokes | Simon Dyson | [6] |
| 2002 (2003) | Pádraig Harrington |  Ireland | 273 | −15 | 1 stroke |  Jyoti Randhawa | [7] |
| 2001 (2002) | Jarmo Sandelin | Sweden | 278 | −10 | 1 stroke |  Thongchai Jaidee José María Olazábal | [8] |
Numbers in parentheses indicate the European Tour season the event fell into.
References
- ↑ "Els romps to victory at BMW Asian Open". Sydney Morning Herald. Reuters. 2 May 2005. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ "Clarke claims dramatic Asian win". BBC Sport. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ "Jacquelin claims Asian Open title". BBC Sport. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ "Fernandez-Castano wins Asian Open in playoff". ESPN. Associated Press. 23 April 2006. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ "Els strolls to victory at BMW Asian Open". USA Today (Shanghai). Associated Press. 1 May 2005. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ "Jimenez hoovers up as Dyson loses lead". The Scotsman. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ "Harrington a winner in Asia". RTÉ Sport. 24 November 2002. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ↑ Casey, Phil (26 November 2001). "Sandelin celebrates end to tour title drought". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-02-01.