Asian Open:Paul Casey is keen to move a step closer to his goal of claiming the European Order of Merit title this season with a strong performance in the BMW Asian Masters which gets under way at Tomson Shanghai Pudong GC today.

A tie for 10th at the US Masters two weeks ago saw the Weybridge golfer continue an impressive start to the season which has already brought a January victory in the Abu Dhabi Championship, his eighth European Tour title, and three other top-10 finishes.

Another good result in an event co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours will see the 29-year-old, who stands third on the Order of Merit list, close the considerable gap to runaway leader Henrik Stenson of Sweden and land a title he missed out on last year by about €35,000 to Padraig Harrington.

And Casey insisted ending the season as top European money winner would mean as much to him as capturing one of the four major championships.

"I've got lots of goals this season but it'd be nice to try to contend for the Order of Merit," last season's European Tour Player of the Year said.

"A major championship is a reflection of one week's golf, but an Order of Merit title is a reflection of a year's golf. It should be valued very highly. It shows that you've played consistent golf all year long. I'd put it up there with the majors, definitely.

"Padraig played some fantastic golf down the stretch last year, he knew what he had to do and he did it. But I think it makes me try harder as I came very close, had a taste of what it would be like to win that, and it just adds to the motivation.

"It's been a consistent start to the season. I've already got a win, which always takes the pressure off a bit, and I'm very happy with the way I've played this year."

Casey also revealed he has approached a tournament, boasting a winner's cheque of €280,000 and which has seen a European victor every year since its inception in 2001, in exactly the same manner as his preparations for Augusta.

"I try to treat every event the same," he added. "I've prepared for this as hard as I can and I will go in with the same level of intensity.

"I don't want to start treating the majors any differently. I'm here this week to try to win and hopefully the golf will be good enough. My game's in good shape. I had a week off after the Masters, which was a tiring week. It was tough, but I played some decent stuff. But it's nice to be back in China and I like this golf course.

"I will play it pretty aggressively. It's a tight driving course, but you have to take the bit between your teeth and go for it. I think you have to attack it and the guys will go at the pins."

John Daly insists his desire to win golf's top events burns as strong as ever as he prepares to launch his challenge. High winds caused the final round of the Verizon Heritage in South Carolina to be delayed until Monday, meaning the 40-year-old did not arrive in China until yesterday on the back of a tie for 36th place at Hilton Head.

And despite making only three cuts in nine events on the PGA Tour this year, having withdrawn from two, the Californian believes he can still mix it at the highest level despite his age.

"I wouldn't still be playing if I felt like I couldn't win," Daly said. "I look at Vijay (Singh) and he's won plenty of times in four or five years since he turned 40."

Graeme McDowell, runner-up to Markus Brier in last weekend's China Open, is one of four Irish players in the field, along with Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane and Gary Murphy.