An appropriate time, then, to assess how far it has come and to ask whether it is achieving its goals.

In the sense of presenting a platform for Asian players to hone and showcase their skills, there can be no doubt that objectives have been met.

Purely in terms of logistics, planning and implementation, consistently putting on quality events has been a monumental effort with no fewer than 16 countries having hosted at least one tournament.

For all that, however, the Tour is still waiting to attain the international recognition that its founders have craved and striven so hard for.

At the conclusion of last year's second season, Asian PGA Tour Ltd chairman Seamus O'Brien spoke of his three wishes for 1997 - to be included in the World Forum of PGAs and receive world ranking status for all its tournaments, to secure sponsors for each of its events and for an APGA member to win a tournament outside Asia or one of the co-sanctions with the Australasian Tour.

While considerable progress has been made on all fronts, not one of those wishes has yet come to fruition.

Certainly it is encouraging that ties with the world's leading PGAs have been strengthened to the point that it is now only a matter of time before full acceptance into the fold and the award of world ranking points is forthcoming.

To that end, a major step in the right direction has been the welcome improvement in relations between the APGA and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation's rival Asian Tour.

At the start of the year, O'Brien predicted that 1997 would mark the first time that the APGA would break even from an operational viewpoint.

Here, too, the signs appear good.

Eight of the first 10 events this year had title sponsors and the majority of those left on the 1997 calendar also have strong backing. Those that do not are unlikely to be on the 1998 schedule.

Perhaps then the greatest cause for concern among APGA officials remains the performances of Asian players.

In winning the Order of Merit in 1995 and 1996 respectively, Taiwan's Lin Keng-chi and Korean Kang Wook-soon proved that the talent is there. So, too, have Indian Gaurav Ghei, Singapore's Mardan Mamat and China's Zhang Lianwei, who have distinguished themselves in overseas tournaments.

Yet many believe that the slower than expected pace of development of Asian players and the lack of depth in the Asian ranks is worrying.

Consider that just 28 of the first 50 APGA events were won by a total of 18 Asians; a less than satisfactory ratio given that non-Asians are outnumbered by more than two to one in all of the events, except joint sanctions.

The Asia Pacific Masters was one such tournament. Had India's Jeev Singh not been edged out in a play-off by Australian Darren Cole, one of O'Brien's wishes would have been granted.

Bigger, stronger and better though the APGA and the Omega Tour have become, O'Brien knows only too well the precarious nature of the balancing act he must perform as plans for 1998 are finalised.

For until the Tour is truly 'open' with no restrictions on the number of foreigners who are entitled to try and win playing rights, it will struggle to gain worldwide recognition.

At the same time if it were to open up too early, the Asians for whom it was predominantly put in place would be in danger of losing their cards, thus defeating the entire object of the exercise.

And this is the one area over which O'Brien does not have complete control. All he can do is provide the opportunities. Ultimately the onus is on Asian players to work harder in order to improve so that they will have no fear about their ability to take on and repel all comers.

When that day arrives, the APGA will rightfully have earned its place alongside its counterparts in the US, Europe, Japan, Australasia and South Africa.

Spencer Robinson is Managing Editor of Asian Golfer