The European Tour heads to Shanghai this week for the BMW Asian Open at the Tomson Pudong Golf Club. Last year, Miguel Angel Jimenez claimed his third victory of the year at this event. Jimenez is joined by World Number Three Ernie Els and other members of last year’s victorious European Ryder cup squad.
At this event last year, The European Tour made its first visit to China. Since then, the Tour has sanctioned other events there and the BMW Asian Open is the fourth tournament in China this year.
Vijay Singh is definitely getting comfortable with this defending champion stuff. 
The ladies of the LPGA will return to the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin Tennessee for a charitable tournament to benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The Ironhorse, a par-72, 6,450 yard challenge, is one of two courses located at the club and the choice for this year’s event. Lorena Ochoa is once again attempting to conquer a field of the best LPGA players in the world, including Wendy Ward, who lost by one stroke to Ochoa at last year’s championship.
Retief Goosen is just another solid golfer from South Africa, right? That statement is the opinion of some, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. The 36-year-old Goosen turned pro way back in 1990, but it wasn’t until 2001 that he joined the PGA Tour. That is also the year he began to make his mark in a big way! When the 2001 U.S. Open came to Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, OK (my home state by the way), it was almost certain nobody picked Retief Goosen to win that week. He had a two-footer on the 72nd hole to seal the deal, but he missed the putt and had to make one equally as long to get into a playoff with Mark Brooks. He made that putt and defeated Brooks in an 18-hole playoff the next day to earn the first of his two U.S. Open titles.
While many golf manufacturers are stuck in decline, The Acushnet Company – parent to Titleist, FootJoy, Cobra, and Pinnacle – is going strong. The company started this year with net sales of $342.6 million, an increase of $3.7 milllion from a year ago. The golf divsion reported operating income of $56.7 million, a jump of $6.7 million from last year. The numbers indicate that Acushnet is doing quite well in the slightly downturned golf economy, not only boosting its bottom line but improving its efficiency.
John Daly surged up the leaderboard Sunday with a stunning 67, but he dunked his ball when it mattered, and Vijay Singh walked easily to victory for his second straight Shell Houston Open victory and his third in four years.
Firing a 1-under 71, Carin Koch proclaimed victory at the second tournament held in Mexico this year. This is the second LPGA Tour win for Carin Koch, the 34-year-old “Mom from Sweden”, with her first victory coming at the 2001 Corning Classic. Although the day started with a showdown between Koch and veteran Wendy Ward, it was first and second round leader Koch who took the lead from Ward on the par-3 third hole dropping a birdie from 10 feet. Although Koch bogeyed the fourth, she regained her composure and birdied six and seven to grab the lead, charge forward and not look back.