Indonesia to move events to Asian PGA
Indonesia to move events to Asian PGA
JAKARTA (Agencies): The Indonesia PGA on Wednesday switched their top three tournaments, worth more than US$750,000, from the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation to the rival Asian PGA tour.
"We were concerned that the fields for our tournaments in Indonesia were seeing fewer and fewer Asian players," said Bob Hasan, vice president of the Indonesian players' association.
"We look forward to seeing and competing with Asia's finest golfers and are totally in support of the principles and objectives of the Asian PGA," said Hassan.
Indonesia and Malaysia were the only two PGAs in Asia who declined to join the Kuala Lumpur-based regional body when it launched its Omega Tour in July 1995. The body keep the majority of tour places for Asian players.
The move is a blow to the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, whose rival tour is made up of national golf Opens. The APGC listed the Indonesian PGA Championship and the Indonesian and Bali Opens as part of its 1997 schedule.
"The Bali Open will remain on the Asian Tour," Indonesia Golf Association Secretary-General Taufic Aziz said. Adding that letter of confirmation will be sent to APGC this week to clarify that the Bali Open is exclusively sanctioned and associated with the Asian Tour.
The move also isolates the Malaysian PGA, led by 1998 Commonwealth Games chief Tan Sri Hashim Ali, which faces a December hearing on a restraint-of-trade court action brought by three professionals who were suspended after competing in Asian PGA events in Malaysia.
The switch of allegiance takes effect immediately, according to the Asian PGA, with the Indonesian PGA Championship between Nov. 28 and Dec. 1 contributing to the 1996 Omega Tour Order of Merit, currently led by South Korean Kano Wook-soon.
The Asian Tour announced that three new events will be added to the 1997 schedule. The highlight will be the $400,000 Asian Masters at the Rovert Trent Jones Jr. designed Sunrise Golf & Country Club in Taiwan in November 1997. The other two events will take place in Taiwan at the end of September and Malaysia in the second week of October.
Asian Tour executive director John Benda, explained that the Tour will continue to grow despite Indonesia's decision.