Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano let the cat out of the bag after winning yesterday's US$1.8 million BMW Asian Open - he's going to propose to his girlfriend. The only problem is he wants to do it in person and will not be back in Spain until tomorrow. The 25-year-old Spaniard revealed his secret in an emotional celebration after his play-off victory at the Tomson Golf Club in Shanghai - now he hopes it doesn't travel back to Madrid before he gets there. 'I'm going to get married, but I need to buy a ring first,' Fernandez-Castano said. His favourite jeweller will be rubbing his hands in anticipation as Fernandez-Castano pocketed a US$300,000 cheque yesterday to add to the US$200,000 he collected as runner-up in last week's Volvo China Open in Beijing. 'This is unbelievable, a dream come true. This is a great day - one I will never forget,' he said after beating favourite Henrik Stenson at the first play-off hole after both players finished at seven under for the tournament. There may be only one Seve Ballesteros, but Fernandez-Castano has done a pretty good impression in the past two weeks, showing the same outrageous flashes of brilliance. Last week, he played a backhand shot out of the trees in Beijing - 'I learnt that one from Seve' - and yesterday he was all over the place again - in the trees, in the water, in the rough - a la Ballesteros, one of the game's greatest players with five majors and 52 European Tour victories. Fernandez-Castano played a 'miracle' chip to hole out from about 40 yards on the 16th hole, which propelled him to the outright lead for the first time and scrambled out of the rough on nearly every hole to make par or better. 'Seve was my idol,' he said. 'Everyone knows he was the best and what he has done for golf in Spain is amazing. 'I've learnt a few tricks from him, including playing out of the rough, which is typical of Spanish golfers. It worked for me today. We are all a bit wild off the tee.' Stenson had been in the lead from day one and looked to have the prize in the bag as he took a three-shot cushion to the par-five ninth hole. Then everything conspired against him as he hit a tree with his second shot and the ball richoted over his head, across the fairway and into a hazard. A triple bogey eight brought him back to a share of the lead at six under but the Swede showed good composure to birdie the last to force the play-off. Both players were in the trees off the tee, but Fernandez-Castano had the better fortune and produced another Seve-like chip to make birdie and win the duel. The sixth Asian Open will probably stay in China. 'The chances are very high the 2007 tournament will be in China,' a spokesman said. If it stays in Shanghai the city will play host to three major tournaments next year - the HSBC Champions, which featured Tiger Woods last year, and the China Open.
