April is golf month in China, with a couple of top European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned professional events hitting Beijing and Shanghai, respectively, in the Volvo China Open and BMW Asian Open.

The two tournaments' philosophies are about as far apart as they can get, though the bottom line for both is undoubtedly "pushing the brand" for their respective sponsors' cars in the red-hot China market. In addition to importing vehicles, BMW has a production joint-venture with Brilliance Automotive in Liaoning province, while Volvo makes cars through the Changan Ford plant in Chongqing, as well as producing construction equipment, engines and buses with its highly-successful Sunwin joint venture, among others.

Such an intense focus on business is undoubtedly good for Chinese golf fans as both tournaments feature top players and up-and-comers to watch, as well as the ever-improving fraternity of domestic swingers. Best of all, both events are free, a rarity in the Western pro golfing world.

Now in its 14th year, the US$2.2 million (€1.4 million) Volvo China Open (April 17-20 at Beijing CBD Int'l) is all about tradition. Unlike BMW, the Swedish carmaker doesn't pay appearance fees to players, a common practice among national opens. To its credit, it does offer pre-qualifying events to Chinese players, truly living up to its "open" billing.

While its time slot falling a week after the US Masters, the first Major of the year, keeps many elite players away, the Volvo line-up always features others who will undoubtedly go on to be among the best in the game. As evidence, recent years have seen appearances by such current stars as Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson and Thomas Bjorn, to name a few.

Among those confirmed for Beijing this year is reigning champion Marcus Brier of Austria who cruised to a commanding five-stroke victory last year at Shanghai Silport for his second European Tour win. Other veterans include Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, the 2006 Volvo China champion who along with China No. 1 Liang Wenchong (who was also last year's top-ranked Asian player), is coming to the capital direct from his Masters appearance.

Also signed up are Raphael Jacquelin, the French star who rebounded from leading the China Open last year after 36 holes to post a wire-to-wire win at the BMW the following week, Simon Dyson, the 2000 China Open victor, the always dangerous Thai Thongchai Jaidee and the Chinese pro golf pioneer Zhang Lianwei, himself a winner of the event in 2003.

The Open also includes a strong group of 20-somethings that are definitely worth a look. Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell finished equal second at the China Open last year, while Scotsman Marc Warren partnered with Colin Montgomerie to win the World Cup in November at Guangdong's Mission Hills club. Francesco Molinari, the 25-year-old Italian star, won his national championship last year.

Others to watch include Englishman Ross Fisher, equal second at the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai in November, promising Indian Shiv Kapur and big-hitting Thai Prom Meesawat, equal third in Indonesia in February.

The following week, all these players will be in Shanghai on April 24-27 for the star-studded BMW Asian Open at Tomson Pudong. This year, the US$2.3 million tournament features top Swede Stenson, the world No. 12, South African great Retief Goosen, 2005 US Open champ Michael Campbell and former World No. 1 Greg Norman. The tournament provides a good opportunity to see Norman, undoubtedly the greatest player in the game along with Nick Faldo in the immediate pre-Tiger Woods era, for one last time.

At 53 years old, the Great White Shark has played only sporadically in recent years, hampered by a wonky knee. When not tending to his numerous business interests, including a new course design in Xiamen, the two-time British Open winner has been known to show flashes of his old, dominant self as evidenced by his equal-seventh finish in South Africa in December. At his last BMW Asian Open appearance in 2004, he was right among the leaders until getting disqualified for an illegal drop on the 17th hole in the third round. The 216-yard par three is now known among club members as "Norman's folly".

With Norman now engaged to ex-tennis great Chris Evert, hopefully the Australian can turn back the clock and bare his teeth one last time in Shanghai.