Saudi Arabian-funded Asian Tour to host tournament in England

Asian Tour chief Cho Minn Thant (left) and Greg NormanGetty Images

Asian Tour chief Cho Minn Thant (left) and Greg Norman are leading the global expansion charge

By Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport

The staging of an Asian Tour event in England for the first time is "just the beginning" of its expansion, says former world number one Greg Norman.

The Centurion Club in Hertfordshire is set to host the $2m (£1.5m) tournament from 9-12 June as part of a 10-event 'International Series'.

The Asian Tour's season starts on Thursday with the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

"We are setting the Asian Tour up as a powerful new force," said Norman.

The Australian, who won two majors, is chief executive of Liv Golf Investments (LGI), a company that has the Saudi Arabia government's Private Investment Fund (PIF) as its majority shareholder.

The Asian Tour recently revealed it had been boosted by a $200m investment from LGI. That funding has been increased by a further $100m, a statement revealed.

"We're not in this for a fight," Norman said. "We're in this for the good of the game.

"It's personally disappointing to see some of the attacks that have been taking place unwarrantedly. If you prejudge anybody without knowing the facts then shame on you.

"Just because the International Series is associated with the Asian Tour, we want to get the message out there that it's not specifically for the Asian region. That is critically important for everyone to understand.

"Healthy competition and respectful competition should spread golf globally. That's why it's so encouraging we can go to London, it'll be so encouraging when we go to the United States.

"This is just the beginning, just the infancy of this journey."

The 10 new tournaments - first announced in November 2021 - have funding to be held in each of the next 10 years.

The first will be staged in Thailand, from 3-6 March, with the England leg - the first Asian Tour event to be held outside of the continent - following in June, the week before the US Open.

Other events will be held in South Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia before heading to the Middle East and culminating in China, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

"We are on the threshold of a new era for the Asian Tour," said Asian Tour chief Cho Minn Thant.

"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.

"It will add to the Asian Tour's backbone of established events to comprise a 25-event season. Each of the 10 events will be broadcast live across the globe, with plans to attract an international field of headline talent."

Golf is one of several sports used in Saudi Arabia's efforts to rebrand itself amid concern over its record on human rights, a process regarded in many quarters as 'sportswashing'.

This is the latest move in a power struggle that is gripping the sport, with fears that the Saudi investment could lead to a Super League in the men's game.

When asked about that, Norman replied: "Will there be things announced in the future? Absolutely. This is not a one-off journey. You want to sit back and see the evolution of how this is building out. It's going to be an incredible one."

The fight has already begun with the PGA Tour in America and DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) forming a strategic alliance and warning players against joining any breakaway regime.

The PGA Tour's flagship event, The Players Championship, has also doubled its prize pot to $20m and threatened Ryder Cup sanctions in an effort to keep its members onside.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who won the European Tour's Order of Merit a record eight times, told BBC Sport last week: "It's a shame it's come to this. We used to work well with the Asian Tour and now we are at loggerheads because of money.

"It's a problematic issue. It's that horrible, evil word, money. The mighty dollar ruling people's hearts and minds."

Northern Ireland's four-time major champion Rory McIlroy said in December that players were being used as "pawns" and while he made it clear he is not interested in playing in events backed by Saudi money, he added: "I think we are independent contractors and we should be able to play where we want to play."

Lee Westwood, 48, said before last year's US PGA Championship that it would be a "no-brainer" for him to sign a multi-million pound contract at this stage of his career.

This week's Saudi International - which had its first three editions on the DP World Tour but has switched to the Asian Tour to become its flagship event with a prize fund increased from $3.5m to $5m - will not be part of the International Series.

Organisers claim it will be the strongest international field assembled on the Asian Tour.

Huge appearance fees have helped attract more than 20 of the world's top players, including 2019 and 2021 champion Dustin Johnson, American major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, as well as Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.

The likes of European Ryder Cup players Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are also scheduled to play.

Analysis

BBC Sport golf correspondent Iain Carter

This is a tug-of-war over the biggest names in men's golf. The established tours - the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour - are very worried they are going to lose their top players to a Saudi-backed Super League.The appearance money being thrown at the biggest players is an awful lot more than some might win and the main tours ultimately could do nothing to stop them playing in this week's Saudi International.The Saudis are pumping in the money and it is the source of that money that is controversial - but players are telling me they are not politicians.People are expecting the Saudis to fund a Super League, that will be for the biggest names in golf and be similar to the Formula 1 season with global events. If we reach that stage it really will disrupt golf's ecosystem. This is going to run and run.

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