Kyi Hla Han sees 'a golden era' ahead for Asian Tour
It's been a long and winding road. But almost 45 years after the launch of its inaugural circuit, Asia can finally lay claim to having a regional tour of true substance.
While Jeev Milkha Singh continues his quest to capture this year's Asian Tour UBS Order of Merit at Fanling this weekend, the wheels are already in motion for a record-breaking 2007 campaign.
There have been numerous false dawns for the professional game in Asia since the launch of the Far East Circuit in the early 1960s. But those now responsible for shaping the Asian Tour's development are convinced that a 'golden era' for the game in the region is dawning.
'Our 2007 schedule surpasses the record for both the number of events staged in a season and the total prize money on offer,' said Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han, confirming a calendar made up of 29 events and purses totalling more than US$26.5 million, both new milestones in Asian golf history.
Compare that with 2004, when the region's players formed the Asian Tour, a player-representative body, to ensure control over their careers and the development of professional tournament golf in Asia. Purses then totalled US$12.3 million.
It's true that more than half of the cash on offer in 2007 will be at the nine events that are joint-sanctioned with the European Tour, including the UBS Hong Kong Open. But it's an impressive schedule, nonetheless.
No wonder Han says the Asian Tour is 'stepping into a truly golden era'.
It's a far cry from the modest sums on offer when the Far East Circuit - comprising the Open championships of Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore - came into being.
In those days, the fields included a strong Australian contingent, led by five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson. It was, though, all pretty low key. Overseas players generally stayed at the houses of members of the host clubs. There were no advertising boards around the course, no hospitality marquees around the 18th green and no ropes behind which spectators had to walk.
The club members who did come out to watch the pros simply followed in the footsteps of the players as they strode down the fairways. Newspaper coverage was minimal and television exposure non-existent.
That has all changed. Today, professional golf is big business and Asia, with its burgeoning economic growth, is the most sought-after market for sponsors.
Just consider the line-up for next November alone. A total of US$16 million will be up for grabs at four tournaments - the US$4 million Barclays Singapore Open, the US$5 million HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the US$2 million UBS Hong Kong Open and the WGC-World Cup at Shenzhen's Mission Hills, boasting a prize fund of US$5 million.
Said Han: 'Next year's calendar reinforces our mission to create exciting tournaments for our players, spectators, television viewers and sponsors. The expansion of golf in Asia is epitomised by a number of new events that will take place in 2007 and it will be exciting to break new ground with the inaugural Cambodian Open.'
Already the Asian Tour is on the verge of overtaking the Japan Tour as the third richest circuit in the world. The next target is to close the gap on the European Tour and the US PGA Tour.
'Our mission is to create more events and offer more prize money,' said Han, who believes it is a realistic target for the Asian Tour to increase to 40 events by 2011.
'One day we want to be like the US PGA Tour. We know there's a long way to go, but we're on the right track. This is the most stable and sustainable professional Tour we have ever had in Asia,' he said.
Spencer Robinson is managing editor of Asian Golf Monthly
