PGA Tour's Far Eastern Forays Are Far from Fair

Having muscled its way into Asian Tour territory with the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, before setting-up the PGA Tour China Series, as Mike Wilson reveals, the US-based circuit is now expanding into Korea, Japan and even global domination on the cards with minimal resistance offered and it’s bad for golf in the Far East

The CIMB Classic provides a convenient and highly-profitable stopover for PGA Tour professionals en route to the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai in late October

When the PGA Tour muscled its way into the Asian Tour’s CIMB Classic in late 2010, the die was cast, a signal was sent from the weak to the strong that the rule of the jungle, survival of the fittest was the name of the game.

And now the avaricious PGA Tour and its older brother, the Champions Tour have bulldozed their way into Korea and Japan respectively, whilst the PGA Tour - China Series is even boasting of its own expansionist tendencies with a three-year-agreement to stage the first PGA Tour China Series outside the PRC mainland, in Hong Kong in early November.

But, despite the Asian Tour, the Japan Tour, the KPGA Korean Tour and the China Golf Association all being members of the International Federation of PGA Tours (IFPGAT), an organization in which all members are - in theory at least - equal and which exists to protect the collective and individual interests of its member Tours, it seems powerless - or unwilling - to rein-in what is the golfing neocolonialism of the PGA Tour.

At least with the CIMB Classic, which again provides a convenient and highly-profitable stopover for PGA Tour professionals en route to the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai in late October, was given a fig-leaf of respectability with the Asian Tour given co-sanctioning status and 10 of the 78 places available in a US$7m tournament with no halfway cut, meaning everyone is assured of a pay-day.

Pages

Written by Mike Wilson

Photography by AFP

Click here to see the published article.

A Name to be Remembered - John Catlin
It may not resonate as well as his compatriot Patrick Reed, who along with another Masters champion Sergio Garcia are expected to light up this month’s Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi...
Final Shot with Greg Kinnear
"Kinnear" appears to be a Celtic name. What are your family roots? Lineage? If you look way, way back? There's plenty of Scotch in there and a little Irish. So, I'm both happy and depressed at...
The Ordinary Heroes
Very often in golf, a hero will emerge. He rises from near oblivion to become the next great hope in the sport with his name moving beyond just a byword to a feature in the headlines....
Becoming a Wilson Staff
I needed new golf clubs that was for sure. My Ben Hogan Apex irons were well and truly shot. I had broken the 5-iron against a tree long ago, my pitching wedge had gone missing and, my 3-iron was...
Livewire - The New Pat Perez
To know Pat Perez is to understand the dynamics of his flavorful persona. That there can be two diverse sides to his PGA TOUR saga – one win in his first 378 starts; two triumphs in the last 85...
PGA TOUR's October Asia Fest
It is becoming a wonderful tradition for the game in the Far East when fans can prepare to welcome and celebrate the best golfers on the planet, thanks largely to the PGA TOUR bandwagon which...
It's Not All About Winning
I have to admit to being a big fan of attending The Open on the practice days. Not only is it significantly cheaper, £25 as opposed to £80, but it’s obviously a lot quieter, and there is a chance...
Defending the Roll of Honour
Headline writers all over the world have enjoyed a field day since Justin Rose sensationally holed out from the rough on the 72nd hole as a 17-year-old amateur to finish a fairy-tale fourth at...
In Conversation with Siddikur Rahman
While mastering the grammar of golf, the narrative for most golfers on Tour has always been their desire to live their dreams and be the best they can. Beyond the public relations armoury...
In Memory of Peter Thomson
Considered one of Australia’s greatest golfers, Thomson assisted with the renovation of the Old Course and was also involved in designing the Eden Course. He played in the first Hong Kong Open...

Pages