BMW Masters: Star Quality
Neil Tappin reports on the inaugural BMW Masters from Shanghai's Lake Malaren Golf Club
Eighteen months ago, the honour of being crowned the world's number one golfer was up for grabs. Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald all had good stints in top spot. But as this year's BMW Masters begins in Shanghai, it appears the dominance we became used to during the Tiger Woods reign has returned.
Rory McIlroy is unquestionably the big ticket this week. The local fans have turned out in force today, despite the rain that greeted the start of day one, and the vast majority are here to see the Northern Irishman. With his second major win, two Fed Ex Cup triumphs and a victorious Ryder Cup performance under his belt, all since the beginning of August, McIlroy's star has risen considerably since his last appearance on UK soil.
In yesterday's BMW Masters press conference, Luke Donald was asked about the impressive support enjoyed by McIlroy in Asia and whether the Englishman himself could hope to attract more local fans. His response was typically diplomatic, "I appreciate anyone supporting me. Rory, Tiger, they are a little different to the rest of us. They have that star quality and they garner a lot of fans because of it."
Indeed, an important part of Mcilroy's star quality is that he isn't perfect. Not many players would have arrived five minutes before their tee time on Ryder Cup singles day. Even fewer would go on to win their match. That Rory McIlroy has established himself as the clear number one can be seen, both on and off the course, here more acutely than anywhere else. His ability to pull a crowd fascinated by his talent has created a fascinating atmosphere at the 2012 BMW Masters in Shanghai.
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In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf.
Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.
Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X
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