DID YOU KNOW - BMW MASTERS
• The BMW Masters will be the fourth BMW sponsored event on The European Tour International Schedule in 2012. This follows the BMW PGA Championship, BMW International Open and BMW Italian Open presented by CartaSi. This will mark the first time that BMW have put their name to four different events in the same season.
• The BMW Masters will be the sixth different European Tour event to be sponsored by BMW. In addition to the BMW PGA Championship, BMW International Open and BMW Italian Open presented by CartaSi, the BMW Asian Open was staged between 2002-2008 and the German company also sponsored the Russian Open between 2003-2004.
• This latest tournament will be their 46th where they have been the title sponsor. The first was the BMW International Open in 1989.
• The BMW Masters is one of two new events on the 2012 European Tour International Schedule. The other one was the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
• The tournament is to be played at Lake Malaren Golf Club. The facility has two courses and the one being used is the Masters Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
• Opened in 2011, the Masters Course played host to the 2011 Shanghai Masters won by Rory McIlroy, beating Anthony Kim in a play-off.
• This is the second of four European Tour events to be staged on Chinese soil in 2012. The other three are the Volvo China Open, WGC – HSBC Champions and UBS Hong Kong Open.
• The BMW Masters will be the seventh different European Tour event to be played on Chinese soil. The other six are: Volvo China Open, WGC – HSBC Champions, UBS Hong Kong Open, BMW Asian Open, TCL Classic and Johnnie Walker Classic. (Also staged the World Cup on five occasions).
• The quality of the 78 man field is highlighted by the fact there are 15 Major Champions, eight winners of WGC events, five European Tour Number Ones and 64 players who have tasted success on The European Tour competing.
