Asian Tour boss says circuit must have ‘proper seat at the table’ when golf’s future is decided
- Commissioner Cho Minn Thant says he is ‘pretty confident’ that his organisation’s opinion will be relevant
- Financial backing from LIV Golf has raised the Asian Tour’s standing within the game
The Asian Tour must not be sidelined in any negotiations regarding the future of golf, commissioner Cho Minn Thant said on Friday.
After overseeing a rapid rise in the organisation’s standing within the game globally, the Tour has grown to the extent it could be considered on a par with its European counterpart, the DP World Tour.
Much of that is down to the significant amount of money pumped into the Asian game by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which on Tuesday announced its shock decision to merge with the PGA Tour and DPWT.
The investment, which came through LIV Golf, allowed the creation of the International Series, a group of elevated events within the Asian Tour’s season that offer up to US$2 million in prize money a tournament.
PIF also sponsors one of the events on the Asian Tour, which with a US$5 million purse is the richest on the circuit.
That link has seen the likes of Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia all play Asian Tour events this year, raising the profile of tournaments across the region.
