The figures were as attractive as the hostesses at the many bars and clubs that dot the throbbing Macau nightscape. Or so it might have seemed to the casual observer. But were they tangible, real, flesh-and-blood statistics? That was the question that came to mind as we enjoyed a drink during another splendid sunset on Coloane island last week, the venue of the Macau Open golf championship.
We are talking about the numbers produced by organisers of the re-born Macau tournament - numbers claiming that the tournament action went out on television to a projected audience of 850 million homes in 200 nations. Television is the lifeblood of sports. These days it is the measure of success or failure. If you manage to get your event on live television, it would mean instant exposure to the world, as well as to dollars and cents.
The Macau Open wasn't held last year due to financial and other issues. It came back with a bang last week after the Macau Sports Development Board, a government arm, struck a deal with the Asian Tour and IMG, the global marketing firm involved mainly in sports. The deal apparently revolved around the event being shown for the first time on live television.
Hence the mind-boggling numbers. But 850 million homes? For such numbers, you would have to take into account China, where golf is a growing passion among the new rich and rising middle classes.
For fans to tune in, they need a product worthy of watching. Unless it is something like the English Premier League, which has a universal following, most TV audiences will only tune in if their team or countryman is taking part.
This is where the Macau Open fell short, in that out of the 143 golfers who started the first round, there was only one from China - old warhorse Zhang Lianwei. The mainland's current number one, Liang Wenchong, or any of the other up-and-coming mainland golfers were all missing in action.
The reason was that the China Golf Association is affiliated to the rival OneAsia Tour and, as such, most Chinese golfers ply their trade on that tour. The Asian Tour has made allowances and given five direct spots to Chinese golfers for any of its 24 tournaments. But only Liang took up that offer for Macau.