asian tour wiki

What is the Asian Tour / Professional Golf Tour in Asia?

The Asian Tour is a professional golf tour based in Asia ( except for Japan) and is recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking.

More about the Asian Tour

The Asian PGA was formed in July 1994.

The Asian tour is controlled by a board with a majority of professional golfers, and a Tournament Players Committee of its player members. It is also supported by an executive team.

The Asian Tour features a series of tournaments held throughout Asia and other parts of the world, including events in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and China.

The top players on the Asian Tour money list at the end of each season earn status on the European Tour for the following season, providing a pathway for Asian players to compete at the highest level of professional golf.

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The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan (which has its own Japan Golf Tour ). It is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours . Official money events on the tour count for Official World Golf Ranking points.

Tournaments and prize money

Order of merit winners, leading career money winners, external links.

The Asian Tour is administered from Singapore. It is controlled by a board with a majority of professional golfers, and a Tournament Players Committee of its player members, supported by an executive team. The chairman of the board is the Indonesian businessman Jimmy Masrin.

The Asian PGA was formed in July 1994 at a meeting in Hong Kong attended by PGA representatives from eight countries. The first season of the APGA Omega Tour , as it was known for sponsorship reasons, was played in 1995 and within a few years it had supplanted the existing tour in the region, the Asia Golf Circuit that was run by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, as the leading golf tour in Asia outside of Japan. In 1998 the Asian Tour became the sixth member of the International Federation of PGA Tours . [1] Under a new sponsorship deal, between 1999 and 2003 the tour was known as the Davidoff Tour , before adopting its current name in 2004.

In 2002, the tour moved its office from Hong Kong to Malaysia and in 2004 the tour was taken over by a new organisation established by the players, who had been in dispute with the previous management. In 2007 it moved to new headquarters on the resort island of Sentosa in Singapore, [2] which is also the home to what was at that time the tour's richest sole sanctioned tournament, the Singapore Open .

In 2009 a rival tour, the OneAsia Tour , was established. Relations between the two tours are hostile.

In 2010, the Asian Tour launched the Asian Development Tour (ADT) as a developmental circuit. Five events were played the first year. By 2015 the tour had expanded to holding 28 tournaments with US$2.2 million of prize money.

Most of the leading players on the tour are Asian, but players from other parts of the world also participate (as of 2007 the country with most representatives profiled on the tour's official site is Australia).

In 2006 the Asian Tour became the most prestigious men's tour on which a woman has made the half-way cut in recent times when Michelle Wie did so at the SK Telecom Open in South Korea.

Among the ways to obtain an Asian Tour card is to be among the top 35 (including ties) at the Tour's qualifying school, finishing in the top 5 of the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit, and placing in the top 60 of the previous season's Order of Merit. The winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit also receives entry into The Open Championship .

Each year the Asian Tour co-sanctions a number of events with the European Tour , with these events offering higher prize funds than most of the other tournaments on the tour as a result. While most of these tournaments have been in Asia, the Omega European Masters in Switzerland has been co-sanctioned from 2009 to 2017. In addition, the two tours sometimes tri-sanction events with the Sunshine Tour or PGA Tour of Australasia in those tours' respective regions. The Asian Tour also co-sanctions tournaments with the Japan Golf Tour .

Since 2008, 50 percent of players' earnings from the US Open and The Open Championship have counted towards the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. The two Opens were singled out from the other majors because they have open qualifying which Asian Tour members may enter. [3]

Asia's richest event, the HSBC Champions , was first played in November 2005 with a prize fund of $5   million. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the earnings were counted towards the money list for its first three years before it became a World Golf Championships event in 2009. From 2009 to present, the earnings are not counted towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Another limited-field event in Malaysia, the CIMB Classic , was launched in 2010 with a $6   million purse. The first Asian Tour event to be co-sanctioned by the US-based PGA Tour began as an unofficial event on that tour, but it started to offer official money and FedEx Cup points in 2013.

In 2016, the tour's richest sole-sanctioned event was the Venetian Macao Open , with a prize fund of $1.1   million.

Starting in 2022, the Saudi International became its signature event and became its richest sole-sanctioned event. That same year, the International Series was launched, with the Order of Merit winner earning a spot in the LIV Golf League.

The table below shows the leading money winners on the Asian Tour as of 16 October 2016. The official site has a top 100 list which also shows each player's winnings for 1995 to 2016. [4]

• Asian Development Tour
• Ladies Asian Golf Tour
• List of golfers with most Asian Tour wins
• ↑ Schedules have also included events in Australia, Egypt, England, Fiji, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Switzerland.

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The Challenge Tour is the second-tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and similarly with the main European Tour and the European Senior Tour, some of the events are played outside Europe.

Professional golf tours are the means by which otherwise unconnected professional golf tournaments are organized into a regular schedule. There are separate tours for men and women; most are based in a specific geographical region, although some tours may hold tournaments in other parts of the world.

The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the Southern Africa Tour or Sunshine Circuit ; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the FNB Tour and the Vodacom Tour . For the 2000–01 season the tour rebranded itself as the Sunshine Tour in an attempt to broaden its appeal. A large majority of the tour events are still staged in South Africa.

The PGA Tour of Australasia , currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking points. The tour is recognised as being founded in 1973 when the PGA of Australia instituted an Order of Merit. Despite always including at least one tournament in New Zealand, the tour was known as the PGA Tour of Australia until it adopted its current name in 1991 following the inclusion of three events in Asia.

This article summarizes the highlights of professional and amateur golf in the year 2005.

Thongchai Jaidee is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He formerly played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour. On the Asian Tour, he holds the record for the most career earnings and is second in victories having won 13 times. He has won the Order of Merit on the Asian Tour three times during his career. Jaidee was the first man to win US$2 million, US$3 million, US$4 million, and US$5 million on the Asian Tour in prize money.

Thaworn Wiratchant is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the Asian Tour where he holds the record for most victories, with 18 total wins.

The Singapore Open was a golf tournament in Singapore that was predominantly part of the Asian Tour schedule. The event was held at Sentosa Golf Club since 2005 and since 2017 had been part of the Open Qualifying Series, giving up to four non-exempt players entry into The Open Championship.

The Professional Golf Tour of India ( PGTI ), currently titled as the Tata Steel Professional Golf Tour of India for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men based in India. The tour was formed in 2006, as the successor to the Indian PGA Golf Tour, which ran from 1997 to 2006.

The WGC-HSBC Champions was a professional golf tournament, held annually in China. Inaugurated in 2005, the first seven editions were played at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, then moved to the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen for a single year in 2012. It returned to Sheshan Golf Club in 2013.

This article summarizes the highlights of professional and amateur golf in the year 2006.

Prayad Marksaeng is a Thai professional golfer.

This article summarizes the highlights of professional and amateur golf in the year 2007.

The 2008 Asian Tour was the 14th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main professional golf tour in Asia since it was established in 1995.

The CIMB Classic was a professional golf tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour. Played in the fall, the event debuted in 2010 and moved to the West Course of the TPC Kuala Lumpur in 2013; the first three editions were played at The Mines Resort & Golf Club in Mines Wellness City. The event was replaced in the 2019–20 PGA Tour season by the Zozo Championship in Japan.

The 2005 Asian Tour was the 11th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main professional golf tour in Asia since it was established in 1995.

The 2012 Asian Tour was the 18th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main professional golf tour in Asia since it was established in 1995.

The 2020–21–22 Asian Tour was the 26th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main professional golf tour in Asia since it was established in 1995.

• ↑ "Asian Tour Moves to New Home on Sentosa" (Press release). Asian Tour. 14 August 2007.
• ↑ "Major Incentive for Tour Stars" (Press release). Asian Tour. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008 . Retrieved 12 February 2008 .
• ↑ "Career Earnings" . Asian Tour . Retrieved 19 October 2016 .
• Official site

Who Is Cho Minn Thant?

Find out more about the Asian Tour's CEO and Commissioner, Cho Minn Thant, here

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The Asian Tour recently unveiled details of 'The International Series' for 2022/23, which features 10 tournaments across Asia and Europe. Working with LIV Golf Investments, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund-backed company is headed by Greg Norman . It brings an exciting time for the Asian Tour, with their CEO, Cho Minn Thant, describing the move as a "new era for Asian golf".

Joining the Asian Tour in 2007, Cho has held numerous positions within the organisation before assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer in October 2016. Three years later, he would be promoted to CEO.

Working closely with the Chairman and Board of Directors, Cho is in charge of leading the strategic direction of the Asian Tour, with his primary responsibilities, since 2019, being the tournament schedule, commercial development and overall management of International Federation matters.

Cho Minn Thant, Kim Joo-hyung and Greg Norman pose for a photo during a practice round prior to the PIF Saudi International

And now, after the recent announcement of 'The International Series', it seems that the Tour is stepping in the right direction, with a $300 million investment and a 10-year alliance securing a strong-looking future.

“We are on the threshold of a new era for Asian golf,” says Cho. “The International Series is a new upper-tier of elite events, the likes of which the region has not seen before, that will mark the start of a phenomenal period of growth for the Asian Tour. 

“Importantly, The International Series will add to the Asian Tour’s backbone of established events to comprise a 25-event season, expected to represent a record-breaking combined prize-fund. Each of the 10 events will be broadcast live across the globe, with plans to attract an international field of headline talent.”

Cho Minn Thant at the 2017 Thailand Open

It hasn't been plain-sailing for the Asian Tour and Cho. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the circuit suspended all tournaments for 18 months and only completed its 2020 season at the beginning of 2022. As a result, it is still yet to publish its full 2022 schedule owing to uncertainty over when countries will ease entry restrictions.

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“As a business it was very frustrating. We were just burning through our reserves,” says Cho. “I wouldn’t say it was dire but we weren’t in a great financial position.”

However, with the Tour getting back on its feet, Cho says he is focused on growing the game in his continent: “I think we’ll just try to build the level of golf in Asia,” he concludes. “We want to bring high level golf to Asia more often, and it may not be every single week like it is on the PGA Tour, but on a few occasions a year we’d like to see that.”

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Robert MacIntyre has just won his first PGA Tour event - and now the 27-year-old has aspirations of taking his career to the next level...

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The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan (which has its own Japan Golf Tour ). It is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours . Official money events on the tour count for Official World Golf Ranking points.

The Asian Tour is administered from Singapore. It is controlled by a board with a majority of professional golfers, and a Tournament Players Committee of its player members, supported by an executive team. The chairman of the board is the Indonesian businessman Jimmy Masrin.

• 3 Tournaments and prize money
• 4 Order of Merit winners
• 6 Leading career money winners
• 9 References
• 10 External links

History [ ]

The Asian PGA was formed in July 1994 at a meeting in Hong Kong attended by PGA representatives from eight countries. The first season of the APGA Omega Tour , as it was known for sponsorship reasons, was played in 1995 and within a few years it had supplanted the existing tour in the region, the Asia Golf Circuit that was run by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, as the leading golf tour in Asia outside of Japan. In 1998 the Asian Tour became the sixth member of the International Federation of PGA Tours . [1] Under a new sponsorship deal, between 1999 and 2003 the tour was known as the Davidoff Tour , before adopting its current name in 2004.

In 2002, the tour moved its office from Hong Kong to Malaysia and in 2004 the tour was taken over by a new organisation established by the players, who had been in dispute with the previous management. In 2007 it moved to new headquarters on the resort island of Sentosa in Singapore, [2] which is also the home to what was at that time the tour's richest sole sanctioned tournament, the Singapore Open .

In 2009 a rival tour, the OneAsia Tour , was established. Relations between the two tours are hostile.

In 2010, the Asian Tour launched the Asian Development Tour (ADT) as a developmental circuit. Five events were played the first year. By 2015 the tour had expanded to holding 28 tournaments with US$2.2 million of prize money.

Players [ ]

Most of the leading players on the tour are Asian, but players from other parts of the world also participate (as of 2007 the country with most representatives profiled on the tour's official site is Australia).

In 2006 the Asian Tour became the most prestigious men's tour on which a woman has made the half-way cut in recent times when Michelle Wie did so at the SK Telecom Open in South Korea.

Among the ways to obtain an Asian Tour card is to be among the top 35 (including ties) at the Tour's qualifying school, finishing in the top 5 of the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit, and placing in the top 60 of the previous season's Order of Merit. The winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit also receives entry into The Open Championship .

Tournaments and prize money [ ]

Each year the Asian Tour co-sanctions a number of events with the European Tour , with these events offering higher prize funds than most of the other tournaments on the tour as a result. While most of these tournaments have been in Asia, the Omega European Masters in Switzerland has been co-sanctioned from 2009 to 2017. In addition, the two tours sometimes tri-sanction events with the Sunshine Tour or PGA Tour of Australasia in those tours' respective regions. The Asian Tour also co-sanctions tournaments with the Japan Golf Tour .

Since 2008, 50 percent of players' earnings from the US Open and The Open Championship have counted towards the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. The two Opens were singled out from the other majors because they have open qualifying which Asian Tour members may enter. [3]

Asia's richest event, the HSBC Champions , was first played in November 2005 with a prize fund of $5 million. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the earnings were counted towards the money list for its first three years before it became a World Golf Championships event in 2009. From 2009 to present, the earnings are not counted towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Another limited-field event in Malaysia, the CIMB Classic , was launched in 2010 with a $6 million purse. The first Asian Tour event to be co-sanctioned by the US-based PGA Tour began as an unofficial event on that tour, but it started to offer official money and FedEx Cup points in 2013.

In 2016, the tour's richest sole-sanctioned event was the Venetian Macao Open , with a prize fund of $1.1 million.

Starting in 2022, the Saudi International became its signature event and became its richest sole-sanctioned event. That same year, the International Series was launched, with the Order of Merit winner earning a spot in the LIV Golf League.

Order of Merit winners [ ]

Leading career money winners [ ].

The table below shows the leading money winners on the Asian Tour as of 16 October 2016. The official site has a top 100 list which also shows each player's winnings for 1995 to 2016. [4]

See also [ ]

• Asian Development Tour
• Ladies Asian Golf Tour
• List of golfers with most Asian Tour wins

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

• ↑ Schedules have also included events in Australia, Egypt, England, Fiji, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Switzerland.

References [ ]

• ↑ Robinson, Spencer (16 July 1998). Asian PGA welcomed into world club .
• ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles> "Asian Tour Moves to New Home on Sentosa" (Press release). Asian Tour. 14 August 2007.
• ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles> "Major Incentive for Tour Stars" (Press release). Asian Tour. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008 . Retrieved 12 February 2008 .
• ↑ Career Earnings . Asian Tour.

External links [ ]

• Official site

Template:Asian Tour Events Template:Asian Tour seasons Template:Men's Professional Golf Tours

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ASIA Featuring John Payne Official Website

Classic rock / 80's rock / Progressive Rock

John Payne was the front-man and lead vocalist for progressive rock band ASIA for 14 years, recording eight studio albums and leading many successful world tours. To continue his extensive legacy with ASIA, ASIA Featuring John Payne was formed in 2007.

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ASIA Featuring John Payne Background

John Payne became the frontman of the supergroup ASIA in 1992 at the invitation of keyboardist Geoff Downes, replacing vocalist/bassist John Wetton. Progressive rock band ASIA extensively toured the world for the next 14 years performing new classics and old favorites. With John Payne fronting the band, ASIA released 8 stunning studio albums and several live recordings. In 2006, Geoff Downes left the band to reform the 1982 lineup for their 25th anniversary.

On the 9th of May 2007, John Payne, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually agreed that John Payne would continue his 14 year legacy with ASIA as “ASIA Featuring John Payne”. ASIA Featuring John Payne has been touring in North America since 2008.

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Asia Tour 2022-2023

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The 2022-2023 Asian tour of Cats opened 22 December 2022, produced by Seol and Company and GWB Entertainment. It is based on the 2017 Asia Tour and 2020 Asia Tour , and toured South Korea and Taiwan.

The production used new character makeup designs created by John Napier in 2021. Some costumes used were also the new Napier design.

Venues and Dates [ ]

Gallery [ ].

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