Business World Intelligence - http://businessworldng.com/web
Australian Golf Series Offer $20m Prize Money
http://businessworldng.com/web/articles/294/1/Australian-Golf-Series-Offer-20m-Prize-Money/Page1.html
By Alex Ekpeyong
Published on March 24th, 2009
 
AUSTRALIAN golf officials are in support of a new OneAsia Super Series, which has divided opinion in the region, because the schedule will likely involve about 20 tournaments by 2011, each offering at least $1.5 million in prize money.
AUSTRALIAN golf officials are in support of a new OneAsia Super Series, which has divided opinion in the region, because the schedule will likely involve about 20 tournaments by 2011, each offering at least $1.5 million in prize money.
“This … is just the first step in creating an elite platform of golf that runs from Delhi through to Auckland,” commissioner Ben Sellenger of the Australian PGA Tour said Tuesday in a tour newsletter.
“It’s a platform that will sit above and complement the regional tours … and give the players from all the bodies involved the chance to compete on a tour that’s a genuine alternative to the (U.S.) PGA and European tours.”
Sellenger said he was confident the 2011 OneAsia schedule, which would take in tournaments from the Australasian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese tours and become the world’s third-largest golf tour, would involve at least 20 tournaments.
He said it would allow players from each country the chance to remain active on their respective home tours. At least 16 Australasian PGA Tour players will be eligible as part of a minimum 76-strong Asia-Pacific contingent in a field of 156.
Sellenger, who has moved to Singapore to coordinate the new program, said he hoped to add to the six tournaments announced this year.The Asian Tour, which sanctions golf on the continent, opposes the OneAsia series and has been critical of the Australasian PGA’s motives in establishing it.
The Japanese tour backed away from joining the OneAsia series this year but plans to join next year, potentially increasing the number of events to 12 or 14 for 2010.
The six tournaments announced for 2009 are scheduled to start with the $2.9 million China Open next month, and include the Australian Open and Australian PGA, two other events in China and the Korean Open.
Golf Australia chief executive officer Stephen Pitt reaffirmed his support for the OneAsia series. “We believe in the concept and we are genuinely excited about the benefits we believe the OneAsia Series will deliver, not just to the Australian Open, but also to golf in the Asia-Pacific region,” Pitt said in a Golf Australia media release.