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Turning promise into reality

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.

If the Macau Open is to progress, then it must sort out this vexed issue to really attract television audiences in China.

But a start has been made. The event being shown live for the first time in 13 years is a huge step forward. This will be a major inducement for sponsors, and officials were optimistic that next year, a title sponsor would be found.

'We have been talking to a number of people over the weekend and things are very positive,' said one IMG official.

We would have thought that it would be easy to net a major casino as a title sponsor. Prize money this time was US$750,000, which is peanuts to the people at casinos like the Sands or the Venetian. Even a US$5 million purse would hardly raise any eyebrows among the casino crowd.

But just imagine if one day the Macau Open was able to offer that sort of money. It would immediately attract the world's best golfers, The European Tour, which co-sanctions many events in Asia, including December's UBS Hong Kong Open, would have no hesitation in adding Macau to its calendar.

There are many attractions in Macau. The regulars on the Asian Tour know it. American professional Anthony Kang, a longtime visitor to the event, says 'all the players look forward to coming back to Macau'. He ticked off the reasons - good food, entertainment and casino action. He also said the course at the Macau Golf and Country Club was a challenge, especially the back nine holes which skirt the South China Sea. On a good day, the views are magnificent. But when the conditions turn bad and the wind picks up then it is a challenge like no other.

There have been whispers that the Macau Open could move to the Caesars Golf course on Taipa island. For the continued success of this event, the Coloane venue must continue to host it. It is time to put to bed the myth that other casinos are prevented from sponsoring the golf event because the Macau Golf and Country Club is a property owned by one of Stanley Ho Hung-sun's companies.

'That is not so,' says Charles Lo, president of the Macau Golf Association. 'We have had golf events sponsored by Galaxy and MGM at this venue.'

All the right ingredients are in place - a superb venue, a television platform and a tournament popular with the players. With a little bit of tweaking, the Macau Open can be transformed into a major event on the Asian Tour. The people behind it recognise this fact. It is time to turn promise into reality.

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