It's been a long and winding road. But almost 45 years after the launch of its inaugural circuit, Asia can finally lay claim to having a regional tour of true substance.
While Jeev Milkha Singh continues his quest to capture this year's Asian Tour UBS Order of Merit at Fanling this weekend, the wheels are already in motion for a record-breaking 2007 campaign.
There have been numerous false dawns for the professional game in Asia since the launch of the Far East Circuit in the early 1960s. But those now responsible for shaping the Asian Tour's development are convinced that a 'golden era' for the game in the region is dawning.
'Our 2007 schedule surpasses the record for both the number of events staged in a season and the total prize money on offer,' said Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han, confirming a calendar made up of 29 events and purses totalling more than US$26.5 million, both new milestones in Asian golf history.
Compare that with 2004, when the region's players formed the Asian Tour, a player-representative body, to ensure control over their careers and the development of professional tournament golf in Asia. Purses then totalled US$12.3 million.
It's true that more than half of the cash on offer in 2007 will be at the nine events that are joint-sanctioned with the European Tour, including the UBS Hong Kong Open. But it's an impressive schedule, nonetheless.