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Spencer Robinson

SUPPORT for Greg Norman's proposed World Tour may have dimmed this past week, but the outlook for the inaugural Asian PGA Tour appears brighter than ever.

     In Jamaica, Nick Faldo left no one in any doubt as to his feelings towards the 'rebel' world circuit. So forceful were Faldo's comments that one of Japan's English-language newspapers saw fit to carry a four-column report detailing his views.

     The accompanying headline succinctly summed up the tone of the article - 'Faldo to World Tour: Bugger off'.

     There are numerous Asian golfing officials and promoters whose sentiments towards the upstart APGA have not been dissimilar.

     However, attempts to derail the APGA and prevent their tour from ever seeing the light of day are, on the evidence presented at an APGA board meeting in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday, doomed to failure.

     It was in July that the new body set out their ambitious plans in the historic 'Hong Kong accord'. The ensuing six months have been clouded in uncertainty with the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), guardians of the existing Asian Tour, trying to counter APGA moves by announcing details of their own expanded schedule for next year.

     At first glance, the APGC calendar looked impressive with a total of 19 events, 12 in the first section (February through April) and a further seven, including the Hong Kong Open, in the second phase (October and November).

     Upon closer inspection, however, it became apparent that the listing, liberally sprinkled with TBCs (to be confirmed) in the latter half, was riddled with holes.

     A US$500,000 Asian Classic (not to be confused with the Johnnie Walker Classic) in Seoul at a venue TBC was pencilled in from October 5-8, followed by a US$400,000 Asian Masters (not to be confused with the Alfred Dunhill Masters) in Taipei also at a venue TBC.

     For the two weeks following that there were events of US$250,000 where not only the venues were TBC, but also the cities in which they would be held and the names of the tournaments. With less than six weeks until the 1995 Asian Tour commences no further updates have been announced.

     All the while, the APGA have retained their dignity by sticking firmly to their stated intention of not releasing a schedule until such time as all tournaments, venues, purses and dates were set in stone.

      The Thailand-based chairman of the Asian PGA board, Suppaphorn Maphungphong, says that moment is coming ever closer. By the second week of January, to be precise.

     Said Suppaphorn: 'We are very happy with the progress that we are making towards the launch of a successful first year's tour. The Asian PGA Tour will visit 16 countries and stage 21 events in the final half of the year.'      The circuit, he said, will begin and end in Thailand, starting with an Open qualifying school in the second week of June and culminating with the Asian PGA Championships a week before Christmas.

     Suppaphorn added that the nine-country body was already discussing with Australian and European counterparts details of joint-sanction tournaments. Currently the Alfred Dunhill Masters in Bali and the Singapore Open are part of the Australasian Tour. Along with a major new tournament in Shanghai all three events may feature on both the Australasian and APGA tours next October and November.

     In keeping with their oft-stated policy of attempting to avoid any confrontation, Suppaphorn confirmed that there will be breaks to accommodate existing national Open tournaments in the region as well as other international events such as the Heineken World Cup of Golf in China next November.

     Questions about the player make-up of the new circuit were also answered. Member PGAs will receive a total of 90 exemptions for each tournament, 20 exemptions for the host PGA and 10 exemptions for tournament sponsors. A total of 30 spots will be on offer for non-Asians at the Thailand qualifying school with up to another 100 receiving conditional rankings.

     The meeting also approved a players' pension fund which will be funded by the APGA. Other benefits for tour pros will include discounted air travel and a comprehensive package of travel and medical insurance.

     For more than 30 years the APGC have failed to act in any of these areas. Little wonder then that Asian professionals are increasingly of the belief that the APGA Tour will signal the dawning of a new progressive era.

Spencer Robinson is Managing Editor of Asian Golfer 



Inaugural Asian Tour set to ride out stormy protest