Thunder and lightning have forced officials at the 2005 BMW Asian Open to temporarily suspend play at the Tomson Golf Club. Round 4 is scheduled to restart at 12.10 local time.

Play has been suspended in the fourth and final round of the BMW Asian Open. At 8.55, officials called in the early flights due to the threat of thunder and lightning around the golf course.

Officials will monitor the situation and play is set to resume at 12.10 local time. Only a handful of flights had started the fourth round, but the delay is likely to cause a knock-on delay to the later players' start times, including tournament leader Ernie Els.

We will be keeping a close eye on the skies here in Shanghai. Check back here soon for all the latest developments.

01.05.2005

This morning's thunderstorms at the Tomson Golf Club have subsided, and tournament officials have restarted the final round of the BMW Asian Open 2005. But with severe delays to start times, the top flights will have to finish their rounds tomorrow.

After three days of favourable golfing conditions in Shanghai, thunder and lightning have interrupted Round 4 of the BMW Asian Open 2005. Less than one third of the 38 flights had started when tournament officials suspended play due to dangerous weather at 8.55am local time.

At 12.10, Round 4 was resumed with a 3-hour 15 minute delay to all start times. Five-shot overnight leader Ernie Els in the top flight will now tee off at 16.30. Even if there are no more weather interruptions, this means there will be not be sufficient time for the later starters to complete their rounds today. They will return to the Tomson Golf Club tomorrow.

But if there is another weather interruption today, the tournament will be called off and the third round scores will stand, said a spokesman for the PGA European Tour. This would see Els crowned as new BMW Asian Open champion, with England's Simon Wakefield in second place, and Dane Thomas Bjrn in third.

As usual, we will be keeping you updated with any developments. Check back here soon for all the latest news from Shanghai.

01.05.2005

Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Paul Casey are among the early starters to have completed their final round on day four of the BMW Asian Open 2005. None of their scores will trouble overnight leader, Ernie Els.

The final day of the BMW Asian Open restarted this afternoon after a three-hour bad weather delay. The early flights are now back in the club house, but none has made an impression on Els's commanding 19-under aggregate score.

Montgomerie, whose driving ambition is to move back inside the World Top 50, will be disappointed with his tournament. The Scot carded two 73s and two 70s on the Par 72 course for overall 2-under - 17 strokes behind the imperious South African, who has yet to start his final round.

England's Casey suffered a miserable week in Shanghai. The 2004 Ryder Cup star only just made the cut by a stroke before carding two terrible rounds, 78 and 76, for 10-over. Legendary six-time Major winner Faldo also slipped away at the last. After two solid rounds, the veteran Englishman hit 73 today for 4-over overall.

Half of the 38 weekend flights have now completed their final rounds. Notable mentions go to England's Stuart Little (8-under after 15) and American Jason Knutzon (3-under). But none have advanced onto the overnight leaderboard. The top flight, featuring Els and Simon Wakefield (14-under) will tee off at 16.30 local time. Bad light will mean all the late starters will have to come back tomorrow to finish their final rounds.

Check back here soon for more live, updated news from the Tomson Golf Club in Shanghai.

01.05.2005

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimnez has slipped down the field after 9 holes on the final day of the BMW Asian Open. He will not be adding another BMW title to last year's Asian and International Open.

Jimnez, who started the day 15 shots off the overnight lead, has struggled on the rain-soaked Tomson Golf Club course today.

The man from Malaga hit two bogies on his opening nine, and now has no hope of retaining his title in Shanghai. The Spaniard now trails overnight leader Ernie Els, who has just started his final round following bad weather interruptions, by 18 strokes.

Els will be equally unconcerned by the other scores posted so far this afternoon. None of the players back in the clubhouse have come within 10 strokes of his overnight score, and he has already birdied the 1st to go 20-under.

We will be providing live, updated news as the BMW Asian Open 2005 enters its final stage. Check back here soon for all the latest news on The Big Easy's title campaign.

01.05.2005

Ernie Els today marched closer to victory at the BMW Asian Open 2005. After six holes today, the South African has moved eight shots clear of the field. He will have to finish his final round tomorrow due to storm interruptions.

The late starters on day four of the BMW Asian Open started even later than scheduled due to earlier thunder storms. And with none of the early flights denting Els's overnight lead, the chasing pack on the overnight leaderboard had their chance to move up on The Big Easy.

But Els stamped his mark on the day early on. A birdie on 1, a hole he has birdied every day this tournament, set the trend for a compelling 3-under opening six. Bad light then stopped play. Twelve flights will complete their final rounds tomorrow morning.

The South African will be sleeping easy tonight, however. He takes an 8-shot lead into the final session. Simon Wakefield currently occupies the runners-up spot. The Englishman is 14-under overall, with Denmark's Thomas Bjrn is one shot behind. France's Jean-Francois Lucquin lies fourth on 11-under. Indian Jeev Singh and New Zealand's Eddie Lee (both 10-under) currently share fifth place.

For many at the Tomson Golf Club, the three-time Major winner is already champion-in-waiting. But nothing is certain until he steps off the 18th green. We will find out tomorrow morning who will be the new BMW Asian Open champion.

01.05.2005

Thunder storms in Shanghai today delayed the final round of the BMW Asian Open 2005. With 12 holes to play, Ernie Els (22-under) leads tomorrow morning's final session by 8 shots.

Day four of the BMW Asian Open was dominated by the adverse weather conditions, which saw flights delayed by three hours. When play resumed, the chasing pack failed to close up on overnight leader, Els.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jiménez had a frustrating day, finishing 3-under, an incredible 19 shots behind the South African. There were further disappointments for other big names: Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Casey have all left the Chinese metropolis without troubling the leaderboard.

Els is currently followed by England's Simon Wakefield (14-under). Thomas Björn (13-under) lies in third, closely trailed by fourth-placed Jean-Francois Luquin (11-under). Indian Jeev Singh and New Zealander Eddie Lee (both 10-under) are also challenging for the top spots.

The number one slot seems to belong firmly with the World No. 3. The flights tomorrow tee off at 7am local time, and we will be back then with regular live updates on the climax to the BMW Asian Open 2005.

01.05.2005

After yesterday's storm delays saw day four of the BMW Asian Open 2005 halted for bad light, the final, decisive session will be played this morning at the Tomson Golf Club.

But there seems to be little doubt as to who will the tournament in Shanghai: Ernie Els. The South African has wowed spectators with sublime golf in every round. He starts this morning with an 8-shot lead over nearest rival, England's Simon Wakefield.

In addition to the top flight, 22 players are also finishing off their fourth round this morning, including Denmark's Thomas Björn, fourth-placed Jean-François Lucquin, and joint fifth-placed Jeev Milkha Singh and Eddie Lee.

Luke Donald will find it hard to make much of an impression on the leaderboard today. Together with fellow countryman Stuart Little, the 24-year old is five-shots off the runners-spot.

In only a couple of hours we will know who will pick up the US$250,000 winner's purse, and whether anyone can win the BMW X3 for the first hole-in-one on Hole 17. Check back here soon for all the latest news from the BMW Asian Open 2005.

02.05.2005

Ernie Els is the winner of the BMW Asian Open 2005. The World No.3 extended his commanding overnight lead this morning to finish 13 shots clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Ernie Els is the winner of the BMW Asian Open 2005. The World No.3 extended his commanding overnight lead this morning to finish xxx shots clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Els was a clear favourite coming into the US$ 1.5 million event, but no one expected him to dominate the tricky Tomson Golf Club course as he has done this week.

Today's morning session followed a storm-delayed final round on Sunday. The top flights came back to the course this morning to finish their rounds, but with Els already 8-shots ahead, it quickly became a race for second place. Els, meanwhile, resumed his fourth round on Hole 7 and hit four more birdies in his first six holes of the day. He finished 26-under, 13 stokes ahead of the pack.

The runners-up spot soon became a two-way battle between tournament surprise package Simon Wakefield and Denmark's Thomas Björn. It was Wakefield who ultimately prevailed by a shot after Björn bogied the final hole.

Joint fourth place went to France's Jean-Francois Lucquin and New Zealander Eddie Lee (10-under).

But the prestigious tournament on the PGA Asian Tour this year belonged to only man: Ernie Els. The South African star will be flying out of China today as the new champion of the BMW Asian Open.

02.05.2005

Newly crowned BMW Asian Open Champion Ernie Els enjoyed four spectacular days of golf to claim a clear victory at the Tomson Golf Club, Shanghai. The world famous South African was in a league of his own.

"It was a really great week," said Els, after collecting the BMW Asian Open trophy. "The 62 was the key to my victory."

Els's four rounds (67, 62, 69, 65) produced some of the finest golf ever seen at the Tomson Golf Club. Were it not for the preferred lies rule, the World No.3 would have broken the course record on day two. And despite adverse weather conditions on Sunday - which saw the tournament spill over into today - the Big Easy never lost his cool, extending his lead after every round. He finished on 26-under, 13 strokes clear of runner-up Simon Wakefield.

"This win has given me a lot of confidence," said Els, who will be competing at the BMW Championship in Wentworth at the end of this month.

We will be looking forward to seeing Ernie - and the rest of the world class field - then, but for now, the South African star will be reflecting on his emphatic tournament win, and his winner's purse of US$ 250,000. Perhaps even more importantly for Els, the BMW Asian Open has seen a return to the scintillating form which has already seen him win 24 European Tour tournaments and three Majors to date.

02.05.2005

The 2005 BMW Asian Open at Shanghai entertained the large crowd with a first-class participant line-up, outstanding performances and a lot of excitement up until the very final putt.

For four days, the golf world was focused on the Tomson Golf Club in the Chinese metropolis. The fans at the fabulous facility experienced an extraordinary line-up of high-profile participants. Along with title defender Miguel Angel Jimnez, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els, who is third in the world ranking and finally won the tournament, took part in the event.

Englishman Simon Wakefield made up for a surprise, when he qualified for the finals at the 18th green and clinched the runner-up spot ahead of Thomas Bjrn. Although the weather was not as stable as it should have been, the crowd was certainly entertained during the fourth edition of the 1.15 million Euro tournament.

The outstanding performances on the golf parcours highlighted the positive overall impression of the event, which was carried away by all the visitors, the professionals, the promoters and of course by title sponsor BMW.

This successful tournament - the 2005 BMW Asian Open - sets high standards for the well-anticipated 2005 BMW Championship in the traditional Wentworth Club (26th May - 29th May 2005).

02.05.2005