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HONG KONG: The Asian Tour on Tuesday blasted what it called
“ignorant” plans to sideline it in the drive for a regional
super tour, pledging to appeal to golf’s international
coordinating body over the move.
The Japan Golf Tour Organization, China Golf
Association, Korean Golf Association and the PGA of Australia last
week formally endorsed the OneAsia project, with a planned launch in
January and an initial 20 tournaments.
The super tour will attempt to tap into the huge
economic potential of China and India—where golf is beginning to
boom—and establish an alternative to the all-powerful US PGA and
European tours.
But the Asian Tour said it would make a formal
request to the International Federation of PGA Tours over the move.
The International Federation represents the six
major international tours and one of its key roles is to promote
close cooperation.
“We also strongly oppose its blatant action of
entering the Asian market to conduct its plans to establish a
so-called Asia Pacific golf tour without the official involvement of
the Asian Tour,” Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said in
a statement.
“The PGA of Australia has stepped out [of] its
boundaries, which the Asian Tour disapproves.”
The Asian Tour said it was “extremely
disappointed” with comments made on Monday by the PGA of
Australia’s commissioner Ben Sellenger, who said the new super
tour was not reliant on the Asian Tour’s seal of approval.
The Asian Tour has expanded to 28 tournaments
with nearly $40 million in prize money for the 2008 season.
-- AFP
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