|
JEJU, South Korea: European golf chiefs have a “moral
responsibility” to back the Asian Tour in the OneAsia row, a
senior official told AFP.
However, European Tour officials have held talks
on the subject and are keeping their options open, international
policy director Keith Waters said late on Friday.
“We will certainly keep an open mind [but] we
have a moral responsibility to existing partners like the Asian
Tour,” Waters said.
“I’m trying to get more information about
it. I have met with one or two people in the last few weeks to talk
about it.
“It’s probably a bit premature to evaluate
how it’s going to work out.”
The Asian Tour rejected OneAsia, intended to
rival the European and US circuits, on Friday after it was formally
endorsed by the domestic tours of Japan, Australia, China and South
Korea.
The project’s backers plan an initial 20-stop
tour, starting next year, with minimum purses of $1.5 million and
existing circuits acting as feeders.
“The new tour will seek to bring together the
best tournaments conducted throughout Asia-Pacific to create an
alternative elite career pathway for national organizations and
their aspiring professional golfers in the region,” they said in a
statement.
The Asian Tour has grown to more than 30
tournaments since its launch in 2004, including nine events
co-sanctioned by the European Tour this season.
“The Asian Tour unequivocally states that we
are not endorsing or participating in this initiative,” Asian Tour
executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said.
-- AFP
|
