Promoters hit back at Asian Tour
Promoters Parallel Media Asia yesterday stressed the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open and Singapore Masters will proceed as normal despite a decision by the Asian Tour not to sanction either event.
The firm also moved to set the record straight after what it called 'wholly misleading' comments about the two tournaments by Asian Tour chief executive Louis Martin.
Martin was quoted last week as saying the firm had scheduled the Indonesia Open against the Amby Valley Masters in India, which will make its debut on the Asian Tour on March 2-5. He also said the Asian Tour had not been given any assurances about the sustainability of the Singapore Masters, scheduled for March 9-12. Both events were staged last year, when they were co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, and the European Tour has again given sanctioning this year. 'We are not responsible for scheduling events,' managing director Keld Kristiansen said yesterday. 'In the case of a co-sanctioned tournament, we agree dates with the European Tour who then confirm them with the Asian Tour.
'Regarding the Indonesian Open, the European Tour reserved a provisional date while government and industry support for the event were being finalised. The Asian Tour was kept fully aware and were notified immediately of its confirmation on January 11.
'In the meantime, the Asian Tour chose to sanction a new event in India at the same time as the Indonesia Open, despite the fact there are numerous vacant weeks in the Asian Tour calendar.
'Further, the Asian Tour's claim that it offered to postpone the Myanmar Open, due to be staged on February 23-26, so the Indonesia Open could be held then, is a smokescreen. The World Golf Championships-Accenture Matchplay is being held that same week in California and the top European players will be taking part. Clearly, scheduling the Indonesia Open against that event is not an option.
'We, the Indonesian government and all sponsors have been working towards March 2-5 for the past six months, so a change of date at this late stage is impossible.
'In the case of the Singapore Masters, Caltex's five-year sponsorship agreement came to an end last year, so the European Tour asked PMA for financial guarantees that the 2006 event would proceed. [We] provided these and the European Tour duly informed the Asian Tour before Christmas that they would once again be sanctioning the event.
'In light of these facts, Louis Martin's comments that [we are] responsible for the scheduling clash between Indonesia and India and that we have failed to give assurances about the Singapore Masters are wholly misleading.
'Through the European Tour, the Asian Tour have been kept fully briefed and, as far as both PMA and the European Tour were concerned, there was never any doubt that either would take place.'
Kristiansen stressed that both the Indonesia Open and Singapore Masters would proceed as planned with European Tour sanctioning.
