Indonesian resort to host Australasian PGA 1st round

Indonesian resort to host Australasian PGA 1st round

SYDNEY, Australia (Agencies): Bintan Resort in Indonesia was named yesterday as host course for the first tournament on the 1997-98 Australasian PGA golf tour.

The tour starts Sept. 11 to Sept. 14 with the new US$500,000 Asia Pacific Masters -- a joint venture with the Asian Omega Tour which was canceled last year because the course was not built in time.

The tour has been cut from 14 to 13 events with prize money up slightly on last year to $6.2 million.

The Alfred Dunhill Masters, last held in Hong Kong, was dropped because of sponsorship withdrawal, while the South Australian Ford Open is expected to return in 1998.

Auckland, New Zealand, and Phuket, Thailand will host the two other tournaments scheduled for outside Australia.

There will be a nine-week break before the Tour resumes on Nov. 20 for the Australian PGA Championship at Sydney's New South Wales course as the Tournament Players Championship and Queensland Open have been moved back.

The Queensland Open, which used opened the tour, will now be the last tournament from March 5 to March 8.

The South Australia Open's prime slot the week before the Australian Masters has gone to the re-named Greg Norman International at The Australian course in Sydney from February 5.

The Tour's wrangle with management conglomerate IMG over the Norman event's former spot the week after the Australian Open delayed the release of the schedule for about two months.

IMG wanted to use the Dec. 4 to Dec. 7 slot to stage an "Australian Classic" in Sydney.

The PGA Tour has moved the Tournament Players Championship from October to December when more drawcard players will be available. It is also jointly organized by the Asian PGA. The venue and prize money have not been confirmed yet.

Schedule for the Australasian PGA Tour 1997-98 season:

Sept. 11-14: Asia Pacific Ericsson Masters. Bintan Resort, Indonesia. US$500,000.

Nov. 20-23: Mastercard PGA Championship. New South Wales GC, Sydney. $375,000.

Nov. 27-30: Holden Australian Open Championship. Metropolitan GC. Melbourne. $750,000.

Dec. 4-7: Tournament Players Championship. Venue/ prizemoney TBA.

Dec. 11-14: AMP Air New Zealand Open C'ship. Auckland GC. $330,000.

Dec. 18-21: Schweppes Coolum Classic. Hyatt Coolum Resort, Qld. $150,000.

Jan. 8-11: Victorian Open Championship. Victoria GC, Melbourne $150,000.

Jan. 22-25: Johnnie Walker Classic. Blue Canyon CC Phuket, Thailand. $130,000.

Jan. 29-Feb. 1: Heineken Classic. The Vines Resort, Perth. $900,000 (minimum).

Feb. 5-8: Greg Norman Holden International. The Australian GC, Sydney. $750,000.

Feb. 12-15: Australian Masters. Huntingdale GC, Melbourne, Vic. $562,500 (minimum).

Feb. 19-22: Canon Challenge. Terrey Hills CC, Sydney. $375,000 (minimum).

Mar. 5-8: Queensland Open Championship. Gold Coast venue TBA. $187,5000.