PGA and European golf bosses being ‘childish’ over breakdown of relationship with Asian rival, says Cho

Officials from the PGA and European tours have been accused of acting like children in their dealings with the Asian Tour.

Days after Keith Pelley, the CEO of the European Tour, said his organisation “had no relationship” with its rivals in Asia, his counterpart in the region, Cho Minn Thant, said there had zero communication from the group over this week’s Singapore Classic or the Thailand Classic and Hero Indian Open that follow.

Cho told a small gathering of journalists at last week’s PIF Saudi International the DP World Tour had not even told his tour they were planning on hosting events in the region.

“We had nothing directly from the DP World Tour they would be hosting events in Singapore and Thailand,” Cho said. “There was no courtesy advice as to what they were planning but, I guess, that is the nature of the relationship now.”

And he criticised the Europeans for not offering more spots to local golfers, with just one player from Singapore in the field at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was in their position, we’ve never done that as the Asian Tour,” Cho said. “Whenever we go to a particular country we respect the PGA or the national golf association and offer them 15, 20, 30 spots depending on how strong the association is.

“We’ve always done that with India, we’ve always done that with Singapore, we’ve always done that with Thailand, so not to see a Singaporean get an allocated spot at the Singapore Classic is very unusual.”

The breakdown in relationship comes as the European Tour, which has sided with the Americans in its battle against players who chose to join LIV Golf, increasingly strengthens ties with the PGA in the face of a revitalised opponent in Asia.