"The Asian Tour is appalled with the European Tour's plans..."

Sheesh, I try to take a lunch break and the hits just keep on coming.

You may recall that George O'Grady mentioned the idea of the "other" tours joining forces and that was quickly shot down by the Asian Tour reps. And now this...

JUNE 11, 2007

ASIAN TOUR STATEMENT

The Asian Tour is appalled with the European Tour's plans to stage a tournament in India without the sanction of the Asian Tour next February. This move is clearly unethical and against the protocol that exists within the framework of the International Federation of PGA Tours, of which both the Tours are full members.

Despite media reports and quotes attributed to the European Tour, there has been no approach or communication to inform the Asian Tour about the event or its intentions.

Since the Asian Tour became a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, all new events that the European Tour has been involved within Asia have been co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour.

Over the past decade, the Asian Tour has provided a strong platform for the success of India 's current crop of top players and the Asian Tour is fully committed to the growth of golf in India and Asia.

The Asian Tour fully respects and cooperates with the Indian Golf Union and was happy to step in to ensure the continuance of one of Asia's longest standing national Opens, the Hero Honda Indian Open, in 2005
when support was required.

The Asian Tour was also fully supportive of the formation of the Professional Golf Tour of India and is actively cooperating in the development of playing opportunities for Indian and the Asian Tour players.

However, with the latest developments, the Asian Tour disagrees with the unethical actions of the European Tour which has avoided contact with the Asian Tour whilst announcing this new event in India.

This action reflects on the European Tour's aggressive direction without any concern for the protocol of the International Federation of PGA Tours and highlights an invasive position on Asia.

Kyi Hla Han
Executive Chairman
Asian Tour

Well, not a lot of grey area in that statement! 

"We have not been informed or approached by the European Tour on its proposed idea."

Thanks to reader George for catching this Mark Garrod piece that would seem to contradict George O'Grady's statement that "rest of the world" tour is close to being finalized. Or even discussed?!

Asian Tour's executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said: "We have not been informed or approached by the European Tour on its proposed idea.

"The Asian Tour has an existing co-sanction programme with the European Tour. If new proposals are put forward to the Asian Tour, it will be evaluated based on its benefit to the Asian Tour.

"As a member of the Federation of International PGA Tours, the Asian Tour will continue to work closely with other tours to promote the growth of golf throughout the world.

"As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour appreciate the integrity of the other international tours in discussing with us new playing opportunities that may arise in Asia.

"We are fully focused on initiatives to strengthen the Asian Tour where the goal is to create greater playing opportunities for our members.

"We have enjoyed steady growth over the last few years and our forecast is that the Asian Tour will continue to grow in line with the strengthening of the economy in Asia."

"Certainly it won't be a World Tour--that's far too grand for me to come up with--but there might be a name change."

It looks like a couple of startling developments on this idea of the European Tour becoming a World Tour.

First this, thanks to reader Four-putt, which I missed over the weekend and was certainly a lot more interesting from George O'Grady's mouth than his Tiger-comes-to-Dunhill nonsense:

"The idea of amalgamating with other tours to put on a really attractive schedule, by whatever name we call it, is one that we are in the final stages of refining," European Tour executive director George O'Grady said Sunday.

"Certainly it won't be a World Tour -- that's far too grand for me to come up with -- but there might be a name change."

Fast forward...

"We're the European Tour and we're working with all our partners to make, I would say, a hugely strong alternative to the PGA Tour," O'Grady said.

AP's Doug Ferguson then looks at the escalating rhetoric between the Tours and drops this:

Ed Moorhouse, co-chief operating officer at the PGA Tour, recalls preliminary talks about a WGC event the week before or after the British Open, but it never got beyond that.

"It's fair to say we didn't go into a lot of details because it was fairly obvious they didn't want to entertain a WGC in Europe," Waters said in a telephone interview. "It was most disappointing."

The tournament that got most of the attention was Loch Lomond, home of the Barclays Scottish Open held a week before the British Open. Loch Lomond was interested, and Waters said he was certain Barclays would have been willing to up the ante.

One reason the PGA Tour balked was it had obligations to the John Deere Classic, held the same week in Illinois.

That's why the federation has run its course. It's hard to take it seriously when Finchem, who heads up the federation, has too many competing interests.

Whoa Nellie! Yes, Mr. Ferguson just declared the federation of Tours co-sponsorting the WGC's dead in the water.

Is it conceivable thatl the Euro/World Tour will pull out of the WGC sanctioning?

Frankly, I can't see how the WGC's are good for the game in any way at this point other than for making the top players a lot more money. 

And frankly part 2, wouldn't this all have been avoided if the WGC events were actually played outside of the United States on occasion?  

Newsflash: Tiger Might Play Dunhill Cup; Also Might Make Moon Trip

Apparently Euro Tour chief George O'Grady believes that since the FedEx Cup will be over by the time the Dunhill Cup is played at St. Andrews, Tiger might cherish the opportunity to bond with a friend during 5 hours of misery over the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns...without an appearance fee!

The only thing better than O'Grady throwing out this "maybe" scenario? It was reported as news! Twice (here and here).

From David McCarthy's piece:

European Tour chief executive George O'Grady believes it is only a matter of time before world No.1 Woods plays the Dunhill Links Championship over St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

With the American season finishing earlier that usual with the Û10million FedEx Cup, there is no Stateside clash with the Dunhill in October and O'Grady reckons it is inevitable Woods will play the event to satisfy sponsors in the near future.

He said: "The Dunhill is in an ideal situation. With the FedEx tournament being over by the time it takes place, everyone wants the best professional field it can have. You can see a day when Tiger Woods will play in it, because of who he could play with.

"I don't know if they are talking with Tiger or not but it wouldn't be beyond the bounds as long as he was playing with someone he enjoys playing with.

Exactly, why just hop on the Citation and bring a friend to play in Scotland when you can make that friend pay to play in a pro-am! 

"The tournament host, Johan Rupert, has stated he does not do appearance money but he gives a great welcome.

"It's the best pro-am in the world. For the amateur to get the chance to play these courses under championship conditions is fantastic."

And we know that's what Tiger's all about. Playing in pro-ams! 

"The PGA Tour flatly refused to consider them."

Thanks to reader Mary for this Douglas Lowe story on the growing divide between the European Tour and the PGA Tour, which will probably be growing just a bit more after this quote:

In response to Singh's suggestion of making the PGA a WGC, Keith Waters, the European Tour's director of international policy, said: "We offered one or two events we considered suitable to be WGC tournaments, but the PGA Tour flatly refused to consider them."

It is that kind of non-co-operation born of stifling self-interest that could hasten a polarisation between America and the rest of the world. Padraig Harrington was talking last week of how all the world tours outside the US should unite in order to compete and survive.

Which I think is a questionable point in light of the continued strength of fields in the "have" events. But I Lowe's other point is a good one:

The European Tour, in any case, have been moving in recent years towards world status with co-sanctioned events in Asia, South Africa, Australasia and the Middle-East. It would need only to crank that up a notch or two by including Japan and upgrade tournaments such as the South Africa Open and Australian Open.

"Celebrity circus is trial of endurance"

Thanks to reader Patrick for another classic from the Telegraph's Martin Johnson, this time reporting on his BMW Pro-Am round at Wentworth.

Euro Tour Commits To Drug Testing

Lewaine Mair reports in the Telegraph that it would have started sooner if not for the PGA Tour "dragging its heels."

Huggan On Seve

The Scottish Paper of Record Scotland On Sunday columnist writes about the sad state of Seve's game and how it can't tarnish his legacy.

HSBC Pulls Out of World Match Play

Thanks to reader Tuco for this...

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe's biggest- bank by market value, will end its sponsorship of golf's World Match Play Championship five years early to concentrate on the European Tour's Champions tournament in China.    

HSBC in 2003 signed a 10-year accord for the 16-player World Match Play at Wentworth, southwest of London, two years before it began to back the Champions tournament in Shanghai. International Management Group, the sports agency founded by Mark McCormack, will seek a new sponsor for next season's 45th edition.

"The World Match Play has taught us a lot about golf and led to the success of the HSBC Champions in Asia,'' the bank said in an e-mailed statement today. The Champions ``has grown faster than we could have hoped and means that now is the right time to make this decision.''

HSBC has struggled to attract top players to Wentworth even after increasing the first prize to 1 million pounds ($1.97 million), the biggest winner's check in the game until this year's FedEx Cup final on the U.S. PGA Tour. Players including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk have regularly shunned the event, limiting the appeal of the contest.

"Stay tuned - this thing is a long way from over."

John Huggan is in fine curmudgeonly form while looking at the havoc the FedEx Cup schedule is creating on the European Tour.

As America's PGA Tour embarks on a lucratively-reshaped season that will "climax" with something called the Fed-Ex Cup - oh, the history, the mystique - and very likely pull many of Europe's leading players across the Atlantic even more than has already been the case, the European Tour's money-list is destined to be won by someone who picks up the vast majority of his cash in so-called co-sanctioned events - where prize- money is eligible on more than one circuit - rather than by a man ranked outside the world's top-50, and thus "relegated" to playing most of his golf outside of the United States.

So it is that the just-released European Tour International Schedule is all about filling dates. Next season, as the blaring press release was quick to trumpet, the European Tour will consist of at least 50 events - a "momentous milestone" - as it winds its often mediocre way across the globe.

Also, Golfweek's Rex Hoggard fires a few shots at the FedEx Cup as he looks at issues with the Champions Tour schedule. And he notes this about another major change in the Valiant Competitors Tour:

Starting with next month's Q-School, players will no longer play for a Champions Tour card. Instead, the hopeful will vie for a chance to qualify for events. The top-30 finishers from Q-School will earn a seat at the Monday qualifying table each week and play for nine spots in that week's tournament.

With the move, golf's most closed club just went private.

"There are some positives and some negatives," George said of the new qualifying system. "How will it impact the international players on the tour? I want to make sure the tournaments aren't impacted by the qualifying. We're going into it very cautiously."

But back to Huggan and Hoggard's pithy FedEx Cup remarks.

Isn't it interesting that time has not helped the Tour's concept age like fine wine, but instead has some of golf's finest inkslingers realizing just how flawed the schedule and points concepts are?

Amateurs On Sunday

Andrew Baker moans in the Telegraph about amateurs at the Dunhill Cup.

The cut is never kind, and at the Dunhill Links Championship it is crueller than at many more ordinary tournament. For here, the final day at St Andrews is reserved not just for the most proficient professionals, but also the most accomplished amateurs.

So, farewell then to Darren Clarke, Colin Montgomerie, and David Howell. But goodbye also to the Michael Douglas, Hugh Grant and rowing knights Pinsent and Redgrave.

This rower dude Pinsent penned a nice, albeit metaphorically challenged Times op-ed piece on St. Andrews and the Dunhill Cup.

"They kill off imagination. There is only one shot."

John Huggan profiles Jose Maria Olazabal, who goes off an enjoyable rant about the state of course setup in America:

Now competing basically full-time in the US, the Dunhill represents for Ollie a rare opportunity to escape the seemingly-endless tedium of life on the PGA Tour. Never a fan of American culture, the proud Basque, one of golf's most accomplished shot-makers inside 150 yards from the hole, is increasingly frustrated by the on-course sameness that he endures almost every week.

"What I don't like is that there is less artistry in the game now," he sighs. "And the set-up of the courses contributes to that. When you have rough that is five inches high, not even a magician can create shots.

"I do believe players still have the skill. They can shape the shots, hit them high or low. But we don't find ourselves in situations where creativity is encouraged. As technology has advanced, players have hit more and more fairways, so the courses have adjusted. One seems to have led to the other, in an attempt to keep scores up.

"Now we have rough right up to the edge of the green. There is no imagination in that. All the long grass hurts people like me. I don't mind rough off the tee so much; there should be a penalty for being in the wrong place. But around the greens, it is silly. You can hit a shot to 15 feet from the hole and be just off the green, and another guy can hit to 45 feet, but on the green. He has the better chance. That is not right.

"They kill off imagination. There is only one shot. You don't have to think. Miss the green? Give me the 60-degree wedge, and I'll flop it up there. All the touch and finesse is gone.

"The great sadness is that you can make courses just as difficult - and so much more interesting - without any rough. And there is no need to have courses that are 7,500 yards long. I look at guys like Justin Leonard and Corey Pavin and wonder how they can compete most weeks. I'm not sure we are on the right path. Courses are getting longer and longer, and we see fewer and fewer where length is not the biggest factor in success. Which doesn't make it fair for everyone."

"Marriage of inconvenience for hackers and hacks"

Andrew Baker has fun with the pro-am concept that has overtaken the once great event known as the Dunhill Cup.

A Rush Of Blood To The Pedal

Lewine Mair notes that Monty will be driving his Bentley to the Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews, cranking up his beloved Coldplay to help pass the time.

I bet there aren't too many Bentley's where Coldplay has been played at full blast. That's our Monty! Man of the people.

And he'll probably wash the car when he arrives.

"We've had a coalescence of three different things come together"

In another of golf's worst kept secrets, the tours are taking the WGC World Cup to China. Announcing the move were George O'Grady, Jon Linen, Tim Finchem and various dignitaries from new host site Mission Hills.

Wow, it looks like the World Cup has been sav...eh, maybe not...

Q. So it will not be the World Cup after two years, or it could be?

GEORGE O'GRADY: It could be; it's unlikely.

Q. So Jon, your reaction to that, are you already investigating other possibilities beyond the two year period?

JON LINEN: We would work with the Federation and cross that bridge when we get there. Right now we know we're going to be where we're going to be for the next two years.

We know we're going to be where we're going to be for the next two years. Whoa, I think that calls for a little mop-up from the $7 million man.

TIM FINCHEM: If I could just comment on this, I think what's happened is we've had a coalescence of three different things come together. One is the opportunity to have a World Golf Championship event supported in China for more than a decade; the second is that we feel strongly that at this particular point in time the priority is to bring top flight PGA TOUR level golf to China and to Asia; the third thing is we want to perpetuate the World Cup.

So we've addressed all of these things in a way that we've unfolded here today, which is we're going to take advantage of the commitment that China and Mission Hills has provided, we're going to perpetuate the World Cup for the next two years at Mission Hills. We intend to have World Championship golf for the ten years beyond that, but how that unfolds after the next two years is yet to be determined for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is as George mentioned, the world calendar is reasonably set through 2008. There are issues with the tournament structures and dates after that, in addition to these format issues.

So we will address those as we get to them over the next year, year and a half, but in the meantime we're going to focus our energies on making the World Cup as good as we can make it at Mission Hills for the next two years.

Ah, much better. Those multiple "perpetuate" references are so much tighter than "We know we're going to be where we're going to be for the next two years." That's why he gets the big bucks!

Q. Is there a fear that the World Golf Championship events will be devalued by the fact that most or all will be in America for the next ten years, foreseeable future, and then the next one will be in China for 12 years; will it become stale after so many years?

GEORGE O'GRADY: From a European Tour point of view? I think everybody can have a view on it. I think it's been well chronicled that when all the World Golf Championships or the stroke play events, the Accenture, have been played in America. Not all of us were totally best pleased. But if we have to look at the force of the world economy where it goes, I mean, if we are sitting here, if I'm allowed to say so, a tremendous European victory in the Ryder Cup Matches just finished, and various people have said, why. Now, reading the papers for the last two days, better people than myself can work that out in a playing sense.

Say what?

Q. With that said, George, when is the next window of opportunity for one of these things to be in Europe?

TIM FINCHEM: After 2010 probably.

Nice rescue by the Commissioner.