Straight back in the swing

The 2008 season is upon us already at Sheshan this week

Last updated: 7th November 2007

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Not even a week has passed since the 2007 European Tour season came to a dramatic close at Valderrama with Justin Rose edging out Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els to claim his first Order of Merit crown.

Yet if there was any thought of sitting back, savouring Rose's memorable triumph and recharging the batteries, you can think again.

Thursday sees the start of the third edition of the HSBC Champions tournament in China - the curtain-raiser for the 2008 European Tour season.

Yes, that's right... the 2008 season is upon us already.

It may seem like just three days ago that Rose was holding aloft the Harry Vardon trophy in Spain - and that's because he was. But attention is already now turning to the 2008 race.

Making an explosive start will be in the mind of every player at Sheshan Golf Club this week and that includes plenty of good ones with 10 of the world's top 20 teeing it up.

And it is little surprise there is such quality in the field with a total purse of €5 million (£3 million) on offer, including a first prize of €575,445 (£400,000).

Stellar field

World number one Tiger Woods - runner-up to David Howell in the inaugural 2006 event - will not be present this time around, but with the likes of Harrington, Els, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, Angel Cabrera and Phil Mickelson there is no shortage of star quality.

The world number two - who played the Singapore Open last week - has admitted he will be making a conscious effort to venture out of America more frequently from this year onwards and is excited by the prospect of travelling to and testing himself in China.

"The reason I didn't play more (tournaments abroad) in the past was the PGA Tour schedule going so late and then my kids were not able to travel," Mickeslson explained. "They were too young and it would have been too tough on them with the time changes plus they wouldn't have appreciated the many things that different countries have to offer.

"But now that my oldest child, Amanda, is eight, she is reading about China and many other countries worldwide as is my second daughter Sophie who is six. My son Evan, who is four, although he is not learning as much, he is easy to travel with and because we are now able to travel as a family, I fully expect to go to many wonderful places.

"China is a country I've heard so much about. I've been reading about it myself and I'm ecstatic to be going, to see some of the sights as well as to compete in the golf tournament.

"I know the game of golf is booming in China and I'm looking forward to playing there."

The boom in Asian golf has seen a host of talented players emerging and they will be well represented at Sheshan.

Y E Yang of Korea will be back to defend the title he won last year, while much of the home support will focus on veteran Chinese professional Zhang Lian-wei and his exciting young compatriot Liang Wen-chong, who claimed his maiden European Tour title in March when he won the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters.

The two previous editions of the tournament have not featured a cut with restricted fields present, but with numbers having swelled to 89 this year there will be a halfway purge with, as is the norm at all European Tour events, the top 65 players and those tied for 65th place to contest the weekend's action.