DESTINATIONGOLF . TRAVEL
players a pathway to qualify for the LIV League at the end of each season . As far as we are concerned , the International Series will be a mainstay on the Asian Tour regardless of the PGA Tour-PIF discussions .
We are committed to a long-term partnership and we are confident this will remain as is . I think we have made it clear that the Asian Tour is no longer and minor Tour and we are trending upward , so I expect to be positioned accordingly in the global Tour hierarchy .
At the start , it must have been difficult to be seen aligning the Asian Tour with this new tour . Now that LIV Adelaide has set a benchmark , have you now found more opportunities for the Asian Tour and especially its players ? The decision to move in this direction was actually more straightforward than most people think . The benefits to our members have become very evident over the past two seasons and we are now seeing the level of competition being upped a notch .
The calibre of golf is increasing . The international events on the LIV League schedule have proven to be very popular with those world-class players travelling around the world , and it has really increased the interest of the golfing audience in our part of the world .
The positive spin-off is more interest in the International Series which we hope will steadily grow and become even bigger and better . Having the opportunity to play themselves into the world ’ s most lucrative series of events definitely has increased the level of interest and motivation amongst the players . We now seeing more and more international players joining the Asian Tour with that in mind . Sihwan Kim and Scott Vincent played their way into the LIV League through their performance last season and this season Andy Ogletree is in pole position . It is most definitely a life-changing opportunity .
Your Tour travels extensively , particularly around Asia . Can you explain how you go about selecting a course for a major championship ? What are the requirements ? I ’ ve been very fortunate to have been able to travel extensively across my many roles at the Asian Tour throughout my career . We go to lots of different regions within Asia and every destination has its own charm .
To be fair , the majority of our events are driven by promoters who operate their respective events . Most of the time is it them who work with the sponsor to identify the course . Or in some cases golf clubs actually pitch to host tournaments as it helps their profile .
With the advancements in turf maintenance in recent years , we have really seen big improvements in the conditioning of courses in Asia . We hardly ever play greens running slower than 10 feet on the stimpmeter and new strains of grass have allowed for fairways and tees to be cut a lot shorter .
Whenever we prepare for a tournament , our team will do several site inspections and work with the course to prepare the course to tournament specs . Obviously , it ’ s not feasible for clubs to retain the green speeds and rough height that we play on Tour but the host venues take great pride in being a tournament host .
Asian Tour Destinations is an exclusive network of world-class golfing properties around the region . What courses are members and what benefits does this offer the international golf vacationer ? The ATD network is a program that connects the clubs that host the Asian Tour . It gives Tour venues to opportunity to discuss best practices , crosspromote to their respective members and also allows our Asian Tour members a chance to stay and practice in between events . For vacationers , the ATD mark shows that the golf club is well operated and maintained all year round and the standard of service is of a high level .
You spend a lot of time traveling , so what are your personal favorite golf clubs across SE Asia ? This is a tough one . There are many factors that can affect one ’ s affinity to a certain golf club . I spend a lot of time at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin where I am a part-time resident . The community there is fantastic . I love spending time there between all my business travel to decompress and play in a great environment .
Stonehill in Bangkok is an amazing place . From what was a paddy field not too long ago , it has been transformed into a spectacular worldclass venue .
Sentosa Golf Club is also unquestionably one of Asia ’ s top golf clubs and the advancements in greenkeeping technology there are second to none . Andy Johnson keeps the facility in tip-top shape all year round .
And Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling is also one of my absolute favourites with its famed history and old-school charm . It ’ s a unique place where you can soak in years of tradition in one of the world ’ s most vibrant cities .
Finally looking into your crystal ball , what are your hopes for the future ? I ’ d like the think that the Asian Tour and our members are trending upward . It ’ s not realistic to expect the same rate of growth as in the past 24 months however I would like to see steady growth year on year . Our members are becoming more competitive when they compete in Major Championships and better players from all over the world are coming over to compete on our Tour . In the short term , I would like to see us hold at least one event , whether in be the main Asian Tour or our Asian Development Tour , in all Asian countries .
There are a few key markets missing from our schedule where I ’ d really like to see us return to the Philippines , Cambodia , and even Brunei and Myanmar .
I would also like to see us expand our footprint in the Middle East where we currently hold events in Saudi Arabia , Qatar , and Oman .
From a business perspective , I would like to see our television product improve to where all our Asian Tour events are televised live which would increase our captive audience and appeal to corporate partners .
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