Riding on co-sanctioned events
Source: Agencies |
May 21, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CO-SANCTIONING events with the US and European Tours will help build the Asian Tour's brand, not jeopardize its future, said Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han.
While the Asian Tour has been warned it could lose its identity by allowing too many of its events to be co-sanctioned, Han said the partnerships had attracted sponsors and opened up the lucrative European and American tours to Asian players. He said the success of the first Asian Tour event to be co-sanctioned with the USPGA, the US$6 million CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia, would determine whether there would be more tie-ups with the PGA Tour.
"It just depends on how the PGA Tour wants to stay involved," Han said.
"I think it also depends on how the market forces (sponsors) take it, I think their prize money will have to be around US$6-7 million (for any event in Asia) so we will have to wait.
"We have to see how the broadcasters in the United States take it also as the time zones are not really ideal but we will see how everyone reacts."
Han said the Asian Tour calender, boasting more than 30 events including WGC and Major tournaments, could handle more in the middle of the year.
"We have got positive new enquiries for new full field events in Malaysia now and many countries see golf tourism as a major money generator," he added.
"In May, June, July it has always been fairly empty so I think around the Southeast Asia region it's possible to put some events there."
While Han was confident co-sanctioning would broaden his Tour's appeal and give local players more opportunity to play abroad, he agreed that having only 10 Asian Tour players in the CIMB's 40-man field was not ideal. "We would have preferred to have a few more. We have been talking to the PGA Tour and the promoters about this," Han said.
While the Asian Tour has been warned it could lose its identity by allowing too many of its events to be co-sanctioned, Han said the partnerships had attracted sponsors and opened up the lucrative European and American tours to Asian players. He said the success of the first Asian Tour event to be co-sanctioned with the USPGA, the US$6 million CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia, would determine whether there would be more tie-ups with the PGA Tour.
"It just depends on how the PGA Tour wants to stay involved," Han said.
"I think it also depends on how the market forces (sponsors) take it, I think their prize money will have to be around US$6-7 million (for any event in Asia) so we will have to wait.
"We have to see how the broadcasters in the United States take it also as the time zones are not really ideal but we will see how everyone reacts."
Han said the Asian Tour calender, boasting more than 30 events including WGC and Major tournaments, could handle more in the middle of the year.
"We have got positive new enquiries for new full field events in Malaysia now and many countries see golf tourism as a major money generator," he added.
"In May, June, July it has always been fairly empty so I think around the Southeast Asia region it's possible to put some events there."
While Han was confident co-sanctioning would broaden his Tour's appeal and give local players more opportunity to play abroad, he agreed that having only 10 Asian Tour players in the CIMB's 40-man field was not ideal. "We would have preferred to have a few more. We have been talking to the PGA Tour and the promoters about this," Han said.
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