BMW Masters Power Rankings: Ten players set to impress in Shanghai

Few would have predicted Russell Knox to win last week's WGC-HSBC Champions, but who will come out on top at this week's BMW Masters? Ben Coley goes through the Power Rankings to pick out 10 players likely to challenge in Shanghai...

Justin Rose

Last time Rose teed it up he was given the top-spot in this feature and duly delivered - a trick he could well repeat in China.

The world No 6 has enjoyed another outstanding year, winning in Louisiana and Hong Kong, finishing second in the Masters, sixth in the Open, fourth in the US PGA and second in the TOUR Championship.

Clearly, he's at the top of his game and he's also fresher than most having adopted a light schedule over the last few weeks. Rose has been sixth and fourth in his two starts at Lake Malaren, ranking first and third respectively in ball-striking, and this long golf course is quite clearly to his liking.

Rose will have to hit more drivers than he did at Fanling but that's a huge positive as it's the most reliable club in his bag and, with an outside chance to win the Race to Dubai, he'll be highly motivated to chase down a third win of the season.

Henrik Stenson

Unlike Rose, Stenson hasn't set the world alight at this golf course just yet but that could change on the back of an encouraging effort in the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Stenson putted particularly well in China last week, producing one of his better finishes at Sheshan International, and it'll be a surprise if he doesn't improve upon finishes of 26th and 34th in this event.

The Swede hasn't tasted victory since the DP World Tour Championship last November and while he'll be focused on a repeat in Dubai next week, there's no reason he can't strike a week early if maintaining his current rate of improvement around the greens.

Emiliano Grillo

Higher on the rankings than many would have expected, Grillo can confirm that he's a key player in this grade with another huge week. The young Argentine finally secured a 'proper' victory as professional in the Web.com Tour Championship and wasted no time in getting off the mark on the PGA Tour in the first event of the new wraparound season.

Both displays were powered by typically excellent ball-striking and he really does have few peers in world golf from tee to green - he can even compete with the two I've positioned above him in this feature.

To highlight that point, Grillo ranked first in greens hit on his way to eighth place here a year ago and having done everything well bar putting last week, he's primed to contend.

Paul Casey

Continuing the theme of top-class ball-strikers whose putting is the only concern, Casey should be expected to perform well this week.

This is the ideal test for the Englishman who arrives on the back of four straight top-25 finishes including last week at Sheshan.

As with Stenson, the only thing missing this year has been a victory but this is a shade easier than many of the events in which he has contended and there is no doubt Casey deserves to win soon, having lost play-offs in two very strong PGA Tour events this season.

Patrick Reed

With form figures of 3-10-7, there are few players in this field who arrive in better form than Reed. The American is dead set on keeping both PGA and European Tour cards and should be commended for going against the grain in that regard, with the early signs suggesting he'll do very nicely picking and choosing an international schedule.

Reed has his irons and short-game right up to scratch at present - he got up and down 85% of the time last week - and the width off the tee at Lake Malaren will mean his aggressive approach pays off. Expect another top-10 finish as Reed ends the year on a high.

Victor Dubuisson

In many ways it will be hard for Dubuisson to re-engage after that emotional victory in Turkey, the turning point in a very difficult year both on and off the course.

But the Frenchman seems to be heading firmly in the right direction again and it was impossible not to be impressed with the quality of his all-round game as he finished brilliantly to deny Jaco Van Zyl and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, his approach to 18 one of the best of the season.

Last time Dubuisson won that event he followed up with third place in Dubai and his two visits to Lake Malaren show steady improvement. If that continues, he's entitled to be right in the shake-up.

Branden Grace

Anyone who saw the Presidents Cup will have been taken with the performance of Grace and for much of last week he looked set to add a first World Golf Championship to his collection.

Ultimately, a poor run of holes to start the back-nine cost Grace what would've been a seventh European Tour title but there's no escaping the fact he is in outstanding form.

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Grace's first European Tour title outside of South Africa came in China at a similar course, and he hit the ball brilliantly on his way to 16th place here last year when not in the best of form. 

Danny Willett

Just how will Willett cope now that he's presented with a genuine opportunity to move back to the head of the Race to Dubai standings with one week to go? That's a question I find hard to answer and is why Willett is relatively lowly-ranked in this feature, considering he's third favourite in the betting with two firms.

In fairness, the Sheffield man deserves the benefit of the doubt having fired a majestic 10-under-par 62 to finish third in the HSBC Champions and his form at Lake Malaren is solid if not spectacular.

One thing is certain - if he turns up here in the form he showed on Sunday, Rory Mcllroy will arrive in Dubai with work to do to retain his title.

Sergio Garcia

Garcia makes his first trip to Lake Malaren following some promising signs in recent weeks. Another without a victory this season, the Spaniard is sure to be highly motivated and that is when he is at his most dangerous, as we saw when he won towards the end of both the 2012 and 2013 campaigns.

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Garcia is also sure to be aware of his need to get off to a good start in the battle for Ryder Cup places and just minor improvement is needed from his 11th-placed finish last week.

Matthew Fitzpatrick

Speaking of motivation, young Fitzpatrick has a fight on his hands for the Rookie of the Year title and while casual observers may not consider it important, Fitz will be keen to end a fine year with the award.

Seventh place in the HSBC Champions last week was another huge step forward in the career of this future major champion who now has nine top-10 finishes in his first season on the European Tour.

Lake Malaren might not look the ideal course for him but Fitzpatrick has been no worse than seventh across his last three starts in this part of the world and arrives full of confidence.

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