Liang Wenchong (AFP)
China's Liang Wenchong is seeking to become the first Asian player to win the BMW Asian Open when he tees off against Major champions Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell and Greg Norman.
Organisers of the 2.3-million-dollar event Wednesday confirmed the star-studded line up for the April 24-27 tournament at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.
European aces Henrik Stenson and Miguel Angel Jimenez and defending champion Raphael Jacquelin will also be competing along with Liang's mentor Zhang Lianwei.
China's hopes will likely lie with Liang, the first Chinese to win the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, and Zhang, the country's most celebrated golfer with one European Tour and four Asian Tour titles.
In a stellar 2007 season, Liang won his maiden European Tour and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event at the Singapore Masters in March and notched up eight top-10 finishes en-route to finishing as Asia's number one.
Earlier this month, the 29-year-old made the cut at a US PGA Tour event, finishing tied 45th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and is slated to play in two Majors in 2008 -- the US Masters and the British Open.
"While it is a big honour to play in golf's Majors, a tournament like the BMW Asian Open is important to all Chinese pros to develop their game and to further promote golf to non-playing fans," said Liang, who played in his first Major, the PGA Championship last year.
"I've enjoyed playing the last four BMW Asian Opens and I'm aiming for my best-ever result on my fifth trip to Tomson."
China's golfing trailblazer Zhang, the first Chinese to win on the European Tour and to play in a Major, continues to be a force to be reckoned, winning three tournaments on the domestic China Tour last year.
His best finish in the BMW Asian Open was tied fifth in 2004 and he will be seeking inspiration from the strong home support to become the first Asian to win.
"We have no doubt that the Chinese public will strongly support this tournament and get behind their local heroes as they compete against the world's golfing elite on home soil," said Jochen Goller, BMW vice president for marketing in the China region.
The tournament is sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Chinese Golf Association and European Tour.
All the past six BMW Asian Open winners hail from Europe, except for South African Ernie Els who won in 2004.
© 2008 AFP/sid
