PAUL CASEY will be thinking of his closet as well as his clubs when he takes to the Binhai Lake course for the Volvo China Open, which starts today in Tianjin.
The Englishman won the tournament in 2006 when it was held in Shenzen and still has the golden jacket to prove it, and he is hoping to add another one.
“Winning is a special thing and I have to say that I like to win tournaments that carry a jacket,” he said. “Obviously everyone wants the green one, but it is a cool prize to win here and I like playing in China.
“Shenzen was a great course and great people and I just like coming to this country. I always get a lot of support here and hopefully that can continue this week.”
Five Irish players will be teeing up at Binhai Lake: Michael Hoey, winner of the Hassan 11 Trophy in Agadir last month, Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Shane Lowry, Michael Hoey and Gareth Maybin.
Casey endured a frustrating start to the season after a dislocated shoulder suffered while snowboarding kept him out until March, but he believes he is getting back to something like his best form.
The 34-year-old said: “Sitting around on the couch has brought the passion back and now I just have to put in a lot of hard work to get back to the required standard.
“The ball-striking is good, but I just don’t have the consistency yet. The razor sharpness in the putting isn’t there yet, but I have made great strides and the confidence is growing every single day and I really believe I will be in that winner’s circle soon.”
Ian Poulter and Peter Hanson will both be in action two weeks after securing top-10 finishes at the Masters, and also in the field will be Guangzhou teenager Guan Tian-lang.
At 13 years and 173 days old, Guan will make history as the youngest player ever to appear in a European Tour event, beating the record of Lo Shik-kai, who was 13 years and 280 days old when he played in the 2003 Hong Kong Open.
Guan thought he had missed out when he finished agonisingly short of his top-three target in the mid-China qualifying event in Hangzhou three weeks ago, but winner Wu Kang-chun was exempt, lifting Guan into the qualification spots.
He said: “I really couldn’t be happier – I’m so excited right now. I was really disappointed to lose out in the play-off and I thought I’d blown a great chance to make history, but then to find out I’m actually going to play is like a dream come true.”
Guan will tee off this afternoon in a group also containing English man Oliver Fisher and Australian Marcus Fraser.
CHINA OPEN
Course: Binhai Lake Golf Club, Tianjin. Par 72. 7,667 yards
Prize money: €2.43 million, winner gets €398,000.
Course characteristics: A links-type course that will appeal to long hitters – the par-three 13th is 287 yards long.
Defending champion: Nicolas Colsaerts.
Irish in action: Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Shane Lowry, Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin.
On TV: Sky Sports from 7am.
