Asian Tour
Encyclopedia
The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf
tour
in Asia
except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour
, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore
. It is controlled by a board with a majority of professional golfers, and a Tournament Players Committee of its player members, supported by an executive team. The Executive Chairman of the Board is the Burmese professional golfer Kyi Hla Han
.
The first season in the current lineage was played in 1995, although there had been earlier attempts to create an Asian Tour. The Asian PGA was formed in July 1994 at a meeting in Hong Kong attended by PGA representatives from eight countries. In 1998 the Asian Tour became the sixth member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. In 2002, the tour moved its office from Hong Kong
to Malaysia and in 2004 the tour was taken over by a new organisation established by the players, who had been in dispute with the previous management. In 2007 it moved to new headquarters on the resort island of Sentosa
in Singapore, which is also the home to what was at that time the tour's richest sole sanctioned tournament, the Singapore Open
. Official money events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking
points.
Most of the leading players on the tour are Asian, but players from other parts of the world also participate (as of 2007 the country with most representatives profiled on the tour's official site is Australia). Each year the Asian Tour co-sanctions a number of events with the PGA European Tour
, with these events offering higher prize funds than most of the other tournaments on the tour as a result. From 2008, 50 per cent of players’ earnings from the U.S. Open
and The Open Championship
will count towards the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. The two Opens have been singled out from the other majors because they have open qualifying which Asian Tour members may enter.
In 2004 the total prize fund was 11.4 million U.S. dollars, and by 2007 it had risen to 27.73 million U.S. dollars (all purses are fixed in dollars apart from those of The Open Championship and the Johnnie Walker Classic
, which are fixed in pounds sterling
). However most of the tournaments with seven figure U.S. dollar purses are in events co-sanctioned by the European Tour, and European Tour players tend to collect most of the winnings in those tournaments. Asia's richest event, the HSBC Champions tournament, was first played in November 2005 with a prize fund of $5 million; it is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour but did not count towards the money list for its first three years as any high placings by Asian Tour players would distort the money list. However, since 2008, 50% of the prize money, which is now at a total of $7.5 million, has counted towards the Order of Merit. For 2010, the tour's richest sole sanctioned events are the Hero Honda Indian Open
and Iskandar Johor Open
, each with a total prize fund of $1.25 million. In 2011, the Iskandar Johor Open will be co-sanctioned by the European Tour. Aside from the HSBC Champions, now a World Golf Championships
event, two other co-sanctioned Asian Tour events have prize funds of at least $5 million. The Singapore Open, which reached the $5 million level in 2008, had been the tour's richest sole sanctioned event, but it became co-sanctioned by the European Tour in 2009, and as such saw another increase in prize money in 2010 to $6 million. A new limited-field event in Malaysia, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, was launched in 2010 with a $6 million purse. This is the first Asian Tour event to be co-sanctioned by the U.S.-based PGA Tour
, although it is not an official money event on that tour. The tour's schedule remains quite unstable, with several in-season cancellations, reschedulings and prize fund alterations in 2007.
In 2006 the Asian Tour became the most prestigious men's tour on which a woman has made the half-way cut in recent times when Michelle Wie
did so at the SK Telecom Open
in South Korea.
In 2009 a rival tour, the OneAsia Tour
, was established. Relations between the two tours are hostile.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tour
Professional golf tours
Professional golf tours are the means by which otherwise unconnected professional golf tournaments are organised into a regular schedule. There are separate tours for men and women, with each tour being based in a specific geographical region, although some of their tournaments may be held in other...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour
Japan Golf Tour
The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with...
, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It is controlled by a board with a majority of professional golfers, and a Tournament Players Committee of its player members, supported by an executive team. The Executive Chairman of the Board is the Burmese professional golfer Kyi Hla Han
Kyi Hla Han
Kyi Hla Han is a former professional golfer from Myanmar and the current executive chairman of the Asian Tour.Kyi Hla Han turned professional in 1980. He recorded his first professional win at the 1983 Malaysian PGA Championship. He played on the Asian Tour from its debut season in 1995 until 2004...
.
The first season in the current lineage was played in 1995, although there had been earlier attempts to create an Asian Tour. The Asian PGA was formed in July 1994 at a meeting in Hong Kong attended by PGA representatives from eight countries. In 1998 the Asian Tour became the sixth member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. In 2002, the tour moved its office from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to Malaysia and in 2004 the tour was taken over by a new organisation established by the players, who had been in dispute with the previous management. In 2007 it moved to new headquarters on the resort island of Sentosa
Sentosa
Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay , is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year...
in Singapore, which is also the home to what was at that time the tour's richest sole sanctioned tournament, the Singapore Open
Singapore Open (golf)
The Singapore Open is a golf tournament in Singapore that has been sanctioned by the Asian Tour from that tour's inception in 1995 and by the European Tour since 2009. It was founded in 1961 and was staged annually until 2001, when it was won by Thaworn Wiratchant. It was then cancelled for lack of...
. Official money events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
points.
Most of the leading players on the tour are Asian, but players from other parts of the world also participate (as of 2007 the country with most representatives profiled on the tour's official site is Australia). Each year the Asian Tour co-sanctions a number of events with the PGA European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
, with these events offering higher prize funds than most of the other tournaments on the tour as a result. From 2008, 50 per cent of players’ earnings from the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
and The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
will count towards the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. The two Opens have been singled out from the other majors because they have open qualifying which Asian Tour members may enter.
In 2004 the total prize fund was 11.4 million U.S. dollars, and by 2007 it had risen to 27.73 million U.S. dollars (all purses are fixed in dollars apart from those of The Open Championship and the Johnnie Walker Classic
Johnnie Walker Classic
The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event...
, which are fixed in pounds sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
). However most of the tournaments with seven figure U.S. dollar purses are in events co-sanctioned by the European Tour, and European Tour players tend to collect most of the winnings in those tournaments. Asia's richest event, the HSBC Champions tournament, was first played in November 2005 with a prize fund of $5 million; it is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour but did not count towards the money list for its first three years as any high placings by Asian Tour players would distort the money list. However, since 2008, 50% of the prize money, which is now at a total of $7.5 million, has counted towards the Order of Merit. For 2010, the tour's richest sole sanctioned events are the Hero Honda Indian Open
Hero Honda Indian Open
The Hero Indian Open is a golf tournament on the Asian Tour that has been held for several years at the Delhi Golf Club.The inaugural event was held in 1964 and won by Peter Thomson of Australia, who was the inspiration behind the event...
and Iskandar Johor Open
Iskandar Johor Open
The Iskandar Johor Open is a golf tournament held in Malaysia and part of the Asian Tour and European Tour. It was first held in 2007 when it was played at the Royal Johor Country Club in Johor Bahru....
, each with a total prize fund of $1.25 million. In 2011, the Iskandar Johor Open will be co-sanctioned by the European Tour. Aside from the HSBC Champions, now a World Golf Championships
World Golf Championships
The World Golf Championships are a group of four annual events for male professional golfers created by the International Federation of PGA Tours, with a fifth to be added in 2012...
event, two other co-sanctioned Asian Tour events have prize funds of at least $5 million. The Singapore Open, which reached the $5 million level in 2008, had been the tour's richest sole sanctioned event, but it became co-sanctioned by the European Tour in 2009, and as such saw another increase in prize money in 2010 to $6 million. A new limited-field event in Malaysia, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, was launched in 2010 with a $6 million purse. This is the first Asian Tour event to be co-sanctioned by the U.S.-based PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, although it is not an official money event on that tour. The tour's schedule remains quite unstable, with several in-season cancellations, reschedulings and prize fund alterations in 2007.
In 2006 the Asian Tour became the most prestigious men's tour on which a woman has made the half-way cut in recent times when Michelle Wie
Michelle Wie
Michelle Sung Wie is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Wie would also become the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and the youngest to qualify for a LPGA Tour event...
did so at the SK Telecom Open
SK Telecom Open
The SK Telecom Open is an annual professional golf tournament hosted in South Korea and sponsored by the Korean cell phone company SK Telecom. The tournament was inaugurated in June 1997 as "SK Telecom Classic", and renamed in 2001. It is part of the Korean Tour for men, and was co-sanctioned by...
in South Korea.
In 2009 a rival tour, the OneAsia Tour
OneAsia Tour
OneAsia is a men's professional golf tour based in the Asia-Pacific region. The tour was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between the PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association, the Korean Golf Association and the Korean PGA. The Japan Golf Tour has been invited to participate in the...
, was established. Relations between the two tours are hostile.
Schedule by year
The table below summarises the development of the tour since 2004, when the current organisation took control.| Year | Official money tournaments | Total prize fund (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 2009 Asian Tour The 2009 Asian Tour was the 15th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
28 | 39,150,000 |
| 2008 2008 Asian Tour The 2008 Asian Tour was the 14th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
32 | 43,550,000 |
| 2007 2007 Asian Tour The 2007 Asian Tour was the 13th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995. Prize money for the season exceeded US$27 million dollars and Liang Wen-Chong became the first golfer from mainland China to top the... |
28 | 27,730,000 |
| 2006 2006 Asian Tour The 2006 Asian Tour was the 12th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
26 | 23,990,000 |
| 2005 2005 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*7-10 April: Masters Tournament - Tiger Woods defeated fellow American Chris DiMarco at the first playoff hole to claim his 4th Masters title, and his 9th major. He temporarily returned to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.*16-19 June: U.S... |
27 | 20,115,000 |
| 2004 2004 in golf -Major championships:*April 11 - The Masters - Phil Mickelson wins the first major of his career*June 20 - U.S. Open - Retief Goosen wins the second major -Major championships:*April 11 - The Masters - Phil Mickelson wins the first major of his career*June 20 - U.S. Open - Retief Goosen wins the... |
21 | 11,400,000 |
Order of Merit winners
| Year | Leading player | Country | Earnings (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 Asian Tour The 2010 Asian Tour was the 16th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
Noh Seung-yul Noh Seung-yul Noh Seung-yul is a South Korean professional golfer.Noh turned professional 2007 and successfully negotiated qualifying school for the 2008 Asian Tour. He won the Midea China Classic that season, and was named Asian Tour rookie of the year. In 2010 he won the Maybank Malaysian Open which was... |
822,361 | |
| 2009 2009 Asian Tour The 2009 Asian Tour was the 15th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
Thongchai Jaidee Thongchai Jaidee Thongchai Jaidee is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the Asian Tour and the European Tour. He holds the record for most career victories and most career earnings on the Asian Tour.... |
981,932 | |
| 2008 2008 Asian Tour The 2008 Asian Tour was the 14th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh is the first Indian professional golfer to become a member of the European Tour. He is the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world and first broke into the top 100 in October 2006.-Early life:... |
1,452,702 | |
| 2007 2007 Asian Tour The 2007 Asian Tour was the 13th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995. Prize money for the season exceeded US$27 million dollars and Liang Wen-Chong became the first golfer from mainland China to top the... |
Liang Wen-Chong Liang Wen-Chong Liang Wen-Chong is a Chinese professional golfer. He is the highest ranked golfer from the People's Republic of China and the only Chinese golfer in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He has succeeded his mentor Zhang Lian-wei as the top Chinese player.Liang plays on the Asian Tour, ... |
532,590 | |
| 2006 2006 Asian Tour The 2006 Asian Tour was the 12th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995... |
Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh is the first Indian professional golfer to become a member of the European Tour. He is the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world and first broke into the top 100 in October 2006.-Early life:... |
591,884 | |
| 2005 | Thaworn Wiratchant Thaworn Wiratchant Thaworn Wiratchant is a Thai professional golfer. He is one of only two golfers to have won 10 or more events on the Asian Tour.... |
510,122 | |
| 2004 | Thongchai Jaidee | 381,930 | |
| 2003 | Arjun Atwal Arjun Atwal Arjun Singh Atwal is an Indian professional golfer who has played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour and is the first player born in India to become a member of, and later win on the U.S.-based PGA Tour.-Early life:... |
284,018 | |
| 2002 | Jyoti Randhawa Jyoti Randhawa Jyoti Singh Randhawa is an Indian professional golfer who was ranked in the top 100 of the world and is the third-highest Indian in the world rankings.-Career:... |
266,263 | |
| 2001 | Thongchai Jaidee | 353,060 | |
| 2000 | Simon Dyson Simon Dyson Simon Dyson is an English professional golfer who is currently a member of the European Tour, having formerly played on the Asian Tour.-Amateur career:... |
282,370 | |
| 1999 | Kyi Hla Han Kyi Hla Han Kyi Hla Han is a former professional golfer from Myanmar and the current executive chairman of the Asian Tour.Kyi Hla Han turned professional in 1980. He recorded his first professional win at the 1983 Malaysian PGA Championship. He played on the Asian Tour from its debut season in 1995 until 2004... |
 Myanmar |
204,210 |
| 1998 | Kang Wook-soon Kang Wook-soon Kang Wook-soon is a South Korean professional golfer.Kang has played on the Asian Tour since it began in its modern form in 1995. He topped the Order of Merit in 1996 and 1998 and was the first man to reach career earnings of US$500,000 on the tour. In 2002 he was the top player on the Korean... |
150,772 | |
| 1997 | Mike Cunning Mike Cunning Michael Cunning is an American professional golfer.Cunning was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He played collegiately at the University of Arizona. He turned professional in 1980.... |
170,619 | |
| 1996 | Kang Wook-soon | 183,737 | |
| 1995 | Lin Keng-chi Lin Keng-chi Lin Keng-chi is a Taiwanese professional golfer.Lin has won five tournaments on the Asian Tour and topped the Tour's money list in 1995. He has also played extensively on the Japan Golf Tour, where he had won three titles. In 2001 he reached the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings... |
177,856 |
Leading career money winners
The table below shows the leading money winners on the Asian Tour as of the end of the 2010 season. The official site has a top 100 list which also shows each player's winnings for the last six years.| Rank | Player | Country | Prize money (US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thongchai Jaidee Thongchai Jaidee Thongchai Jaidee is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the Asian Tour and the European Tour. He holds the record for most career victories and most career earnings on the Asian Tour.... |
4,192,550 | |
| 2 | Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh is the first Indian professional golfer to become a member of the European Tour. He is the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world and first broke into the top 100 in October 2006.-Early life:... |
2,978,145 | |
| 3 | Thaworn Wiratchant Thaworn Wiratchant Thaworn Wiratchant is a Thai professional golfer. He is one of only two golfers to have won 10 or more events on the Asian Tour.... |
2,705,057 | |
| 4 | Jyoti Randhawa Jyoti Randhawa Jyoti Singh Randhawa is an Indian professional golfer who was ranked in the top 100 of the world and is the third-highest Indian in the world rankings.-Career:... |
2,690,999 | |
| 5 | Liang Wen-Chong Liang Wen-Chong Liang Wen-Chong is a Chinese professional golfer. He is the highest ranked golfer from the People's Republic of China and the only Chinese golfer in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He has succeeded his mentor Zhang Lian-wei as the top Chinese player.Liang plays on the Asian Tour, ... |
2,617,808 | |
| 6 | Prayad Marksaeng Prayad Marksaeng Prayad Marksaeng is a Thai professional golfer.Prayad was a member of Thailand's winning golf team at the 1987 South East Asian Games and turned professional in 1991. He has been a member of the Asian Tour since it began in its modern form in 1995. He was won six events on the tour, becoming one... |
2,517,521 | |
| 7 | Anthony Kang Anthony Kang Anthony Kang is a Korean-American professional golfer.Kang was born in South Korea, moving to live in the United States at the age of 10, where he attended Oregon State University.Kang turned professional in 1996... |
1,859,671 | |
| 8 | Lin Wen-tang Lin Wen-tang Lin Wen-tang is a Taiwanese golfer. He comes from a golfing family, with his father and uncle both being professionals and two brothers who play with him on the Asian Tour.... |
1,808,235 | |
| 9 | Simon Yates Simon Yates (golfer) Simon Yates is a Scottish golfer. Turning professional in 1989, Yates relocated to Thailand after holidaying in Asia and deciding to base himself in the region. He has played on the Asian Tour since its first official season in 1995... |
1,754,568 | |
| 10 | Mardan Mamat Mardan Mamat Mardan Mamat is a Singaporean professional golfer.Mamat was born in Singapore. He turned professional in 1994.Mamat plays on the Asian Tour, where he won for the first time at the 2004 Royal Challenge Indian Open. In 2006 he won the Singapore Masters, which was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and... |
1,678,591 |