European Tour will seek to pacify Asia over Indian plans

European Tour officials will try to mollify their angry Asian counterparts to smooth the passage for their inaugural Indian Masters event planned for next year, the Indian Golf Union (IGU) said on Tuesday.

The European Tour announced a $2.5 million event in India next February to be promoted by the Gulf-based "Golf in Dubai" and co-sanctioned by the IGU.

However, Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han termed the Europeans Tour's plans "unethical" on Monday, for not securing the regional body's sanction for the event planned in New Delhi.

The European and Asian Tours are co-sanctioning nine events in Asia this year.

"It is definitely happening," IGU secretary-general Satish Aparajit told Reuters.

"We're waiting for the promoters to put things in black and white; otherwise it is happening in February.

"We've requested the European Tour to keep Asian Tour people in the loop and I believe European Tour officials are going to talk to them.

"European Tour on their own can go to any country, but protocol demands they keep the regional tour informed."

An angry Han, however, complained that the European Tour had not communicated with his organisation over the event.

"This action reflects on the European Tour's aggressive direction without any concern for the protocol of the international federation and highlights an invasive position on Asia," he said in a statement on Monday

Indian golf has been rapidly expanding thanks to a booming economy and European Tour wins for Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal, as well as Asian Tour triumphs for Jyoti Randhawa, Gaurav Ghei and Shiv Kapur.

June 12, 2007

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