Thursday, 19th April 2007 at 10:40 am

The Goose, Long John and the Big Easy

This week’s BMW Asian Open in Shanghai has attracted quite a field, illustrating the increasingly strong influence Asia is having on the European Tour (Tour events in continental Europe are now the exception, rather than the norm). John Daly, the new face of MaxFli golf (and a ‘grip it and rip it’ campaign) and Colin Montgomerie are two of the veterans who’ll get plenty of attention in China this week; it’s the South Africans, however, who’re of greater interest to Feverpitcher.

Anton Haig’s form since winning the Johnnie Walker suggests the sponsors paid him out in product, but both Richard Sterne and Andrew McLardy have shown solid form in recent weeks. And there are the two big guns: Retief Goosen, so close to a green jacket at Augusta two weeks ago, and Ernie Els, back on track after missing the cut at the Masters, and almost victorious at the Verizon over the weekend (still no American win since 2004, though…).

Expect two very determined South Africans, then, to lead the charge in Shanghai, in what’s shaping up as a great tournament. The Asian Tour gets stronger by the week, leaving a tough field for the South Africans to negotiate. But on the back of the Baby Boks in Northern Ireland and the cricketers win over England, Feverpitcher would like to think the omens are looking good for a South African triumph this week in China.