CGA chief Zhang affirms OneAsia has arrived

Amid the spin and smoke and mirrors, the China Golf Association’s (CGA) leading official outlined the way forward for the new series that also involves the PGA of Australia, the Korea Golf Tour (KPGA) and the Korea Golf Association (KGA).

To gasps of incredulity in the packed press conference, Zhang also announced that he has a letter from the International Federation of PGA Tours confirming their admittance to the body that represents all the world’s leading professional circuits.

And at the same time as handing out what might be interpreted by some as a small olive branch to the Asian Tour, Zhang claimed that Kyi Hla Han has denied that Asian Tour members playing in OneAsia events will be banned and fined.

“I had a friendly talk with Kyi Hla Han and he strongly denies he has put any ban on his players. He is happy to help out,” said Zhang, referring to the executive chairman of the established Asian Tour, who has spoken out vehemently against the new organisation.

Zhang said the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) was one of the founding members and he believed they would join OneAsia in 2010, when there would be between 12 and 15 events with prize purses of US$1 million and more. In 2011, there would be between 20 and 25 events, split equally between ‘all founding parties’.

However, the JGTO recently said it was committed to joining OneAsia in 2010 only as long as certain conditions were met, among them the inclusion of the Asian Tour.

Zhang, who last month was quoted as saying the CGA would not sanction any Asian Tour events in the country in the future, took a more conciliatory tone. He said: “I cannot say if the Asian Tour is in or out (of OneAsia). It is not upto the CGA. Everyone should have a say. If all other parties agree then the CGA will not have an objection.”

In the same breath, Zhang questioned who the Asian Tour represented. “I’m not sure if it (the Asian Tour) is a company or an individual or if it represents a single country,” he said.

Regarding the International Federation of PGA Tours, Zhang said: “The CGA and the KPGA have been invited to become full members which will enable us to work for the development of golf and shows the attitude of the international market (to the CGA ad KPGA).”

Joining Zhang on the top table were Ben Sellenger (PGA of Australia), Lee Jung-hoon (Korea Golf Tour), Kim Dong-wook (Korea Golf Association). But it was Zhang who dominated proceedings during the hour-long conference.

Sellenger confirmed that OneAsia is a partnership between the CGA, KPGA, KGA and PGA of Australia and that ‘it is fully owned by those parties’. “It is not a traditional membership body,” he said, adding that OneAsia will be controlled by the four bodies with ‘the players playing a bigger role in the future’.

He said the tournament fields will be made up from a variety of sources – the leading Asia Pacific players on the Official World Golf Ranking, from the leading players of the founding parties and from host nations.

April 19, 2009

Bookmark page with: