The Asian Tour kicks off its anticipated 2008 season this week in India, bolstered by more events and bigger prize money than ever as interest in golf continues to soar.
Since professional golfers in Asia formed a new player representative body in January 2004 - the Asian Tour - to ensure control over their careers and the development of the sport in the region, growth has been phenomenal.
From 22 tournaments in 2004 offering 12.3 million US dollars in prize money, the Tour will feature 30 tournaments with at least 29 million dollars in the kitty this year, with 14 countries and territories hosting events.
The boom has been driven by expanding regional economies that have made people richer along with a boost in television coverage, which has had sponsors falling over themselves to get on board. With bigger prize money, the world's top players are being drawn to the region, which has helped fine-tune the games of Asian golfers who now find themselves able to compete in Europe and the United States.
Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han told AFP he expected the coming year to see growth accelerate even further. "We're poised to hit 30 events for the first time in Asian Tour history and it's truly exciting as sponsors are putting a lot more into the game," he said.
"The game keeps growing across Asia where we'll welcome no fewer than six new tournaments this season. "It will be an unprecedented year as well for many established tournaments which will offer record prize funds.
"This is a clear indication that the game has a solid foundation in Asia and we will strive and continue to grow the game in this region." After a concerted drive to crack the China market, the world's most populous country this year hosts six events, including two five-million-dollar tournaments - the HSBC Champions and the World Cup. The focus in 2008 though is India, which will hold four events, up from just one last year.
Both the European and Asian Tours see huge potential in the South Asian giant, with golf making inroads among its 1.2 billion people where cricket is traditionally king. The European Tour hosts its first-ever event there this week. The Indian Masters, with a 2.5-million-dollar purse, will see drawcard Ernie Els attempt to put his name on the inaugural trophy just days after his agonising last hole loss to Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic.
A fortnight later the maiden Sails Open Golf Championships will take place, with the popular Johnnie Walker Classic heading to India for the first time in late February. While the booming economies of China and India make them attractive propositions, the Asian Tour also has an eye on the future with Vietnam and Cambodia now firmly established on its schedule. Cambodia, which plans to double its number of luxury golf courses to eight by 2010 in a bid to lure more high-end tourism from the fast-growing sport, debuted on the Asian Tour last year and retains its spot in 2008.
Golf will probably never replace football in the popularity stakes in Vietnam, but it is rapidly becoming the sport of choice for the country's wealthy elite, and the Vietnam Masters will be held for the second time.
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