'We want the Volvo China Open to be a Major on the world tour within the next 10 years,' he said at the unveiling of the sites for the tournament in the next four years. 'It's going to take a lot of commitment and a lot of money.'

Pyatt said the world would sit up and take notice if golf became a demonstration sport at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. And he said China had everything going for it - the infrastructure, great golf courses, high-quality hotels, foreign investment, and a growing economy.

Pyatt said the China Golf Association shared his vision and the world should not scoff at such a dream as China's economy would be the envy of the world.

The US PGA Tour may laugh at such a claim, but Pyatt said: 'I don't know whether the PGA Tour of America is receptive to anything. They will have to go by the conditions of the world. They are not the only Tour in the world.'

He said the VCO would not be a threat to the four existing Majors - the US and British Opens, the Masters and US PGA Championship - but one of many additions.

'The world is changing, it's much more global and what you may find is that there will be about 10 Majors, linked to all the tours. China is such an important market for the world and we are in an advantageous position.'

This week's Open, co-sanctioned for the first time by the European and Asian Tours, will not boast a superstar because the sponsor refuses to pay appearance money.

'When will a Tiger Woods come on board?' Pyatt asked. 'I can clearly state that over the past 17 years on the PGA European Tour we have not paid any appearance money. To enhance our credibility as a company we will not pay people just to appear in a tournament. Our strategy is to put up high-quality events with very good prize-money.

'For a Tiger Woods you normally have to put your hand in your pocket and put US$2 million on the table for his company. We are not in that business. We treat the number one player the same as the number 144. Everyone has the same rights and benefits.

'In 18 years I have never approached a player and said 'would you come to our tournament?' Now that is something for a sponsor,' he said.

'We are here to develop the sport of golf in China - from the amateurs to the professionals. We are not here to support Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson.

'If they come great, but that is not our strategy.'

Cui Zhiqiang, the secretary-general of the China Golf Association, said the world should not under-estimate how fast China was growing - economically and on the golfing landscape.

'Ten years ago we struggled to put HK$20,000 together for a small tour for our players,' he said. 'Now we have a US$1 million tournament, and next year it will be US$1.3 million. Golf is growing faster than our economy - and that's the fastest in the world.'

The tournament moves from its home of six years - the Shanghai Silport Golf Club - to the Shenzhen Golf Club next year, and then on to Beijing Hong Hua - a 20-minute drive from Tiananmen Square. It will return to Silport in 2007 and then head back to Beijing for Olympic year at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club in the heart of the capital.

This weekend's 10th anniversary of the Open has been hit by the late defection of highly rated Irishman Paul McGinley, who is having knee surgery, but still boasts 1999 British Open winner Paul Lawrie, talented Dane Thomas Bjorn and reigning champion Zhang Lianwei, the Chinese number one.