But, as the USA has found to its cost in more serious overseas incursions - those of the military variety - even the very best of intentions have ultimately and inevitably led to ‘Mission creep,’ and it’s no different in sport.
Taking advantage of the foundations laid by a legitimate and authentic Asian Tour event, the US$750,000 CJ Invitational Hosted by KJ Choi over four years, coercing an ambitious - and someone else’s - sponsor prepared to trade up big, the PGA Tour made its move, announcing the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, all on its own, no place for the Asian or KPGA Korean Tours, a 78-man field and an eye-watering prize fund on US$9.25m.
Another fabulously-profitable pay-day for those PGA Tour pros as they make their way east along the modern-day Silk Road, less than a month after competing for US$50m in the four FedEx Cup final events and bonus pool.
Except that, if the CIMB Classic is anything to go by, PGA Tour big-hitters tend not to turn-up; to date no more than two of the OWGR top-10 each year have played in KL, the roll of honour - unfortunately deprived of an Asian winner thus far - singularly uninspiring, not a single household name or global star taking the US$1m-plus first prize.
Such is the imbalance of power that the Asian Tour, which operated a schedule based on the calendar year is prohibited by the PGA Tour from listing the CIMB Classic until the US organization is ready to announce it’s 2017-2018 schedule, which runs from October to September.
Pages
Click here to see the published article.
