Asian Tour signals intent to become global power in golf with new international series, Hong Kong on list of 10 tournaments
- Region’s premier golf Tour announces new 10-event international series with stops in London, mainland China and Hong Kong
- First event will be in Thailand next month at Black Mountain Golf Club, with London stop in June
The Asian Tour has signalled its intention to take on its more established European and American rivals on their own turf, with the creation of an international series that will know no boundaries.
An initial 10-tournament series this year will include stops in London, mainland China, Hong Kong, and across Asia and the Middle East, with up to US$2 million in prize money at each event.
Additional events are likely to follow in the future, with Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, which is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and has increased its support for the Asian Tour to US$300 million, saying on Tuesday that it would not be “geofenced”.
“Just because the International Series is associated with the Asian Tour, we want to get the message out there that it’s just not specifically for the Asian region, and that’s critically important for everybody to understand,” Norman said.
“We are setting the Asian Tour up as a powerful new force on the world golf stage.”
Thailand will play host to the first event, at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, between March 3 and 6, with the next stop in London at the Centurion Club from June 9 to 12, four days before the US Open.
Further tournaments have been planned for Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Middle East, before the series moves through mainland China, Singapore and Hong Kong.
