Asian Tour aims to exploit rift between PGA and LIV

ST ANDREWS (Scotland) • The Asian Tour will reap the benefits of an acrimonious feud between the PGA and DP World Tours and the rebel LIV Golf Series, as golfers from the breakaway Saudi-backed venture look to the Far East for tournaments and ranking points.

The Asian Tour, with an infusion of Saudi Arabian cash and a new international series of tournaments, is waiting with open arms to welcome the defectors banished from playing on the established US and European Tours for signing on with the insurgent LIV operation, Asian Tour chief executive Cho Minn Thant told Reuters.

LIV will pour US$400 million (S$561.7 million) into the Asian Tour, according to Cho Minn Thant, which will underwrite the international series and drive up purses from, in some cases US$750,000, to US$1.5 million or US$2 million.

But it is ranking points not money that will be the attraction for LIV's most prominent names such as Major winners Phil Mickelson, Bryson Dechambeau, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, who were paid fortunes just to sign on with the controversial newcomers.

"They've certainly got a place to play on the Asian Tour, the international series in particular," Cho Minn Thant said. "Now that they have temporarily left the PGA Tour they'll be looking to play more events on the Asian Tour to keep their rankings up.

"I foresee a lot of them coming together as a group to play multiple Asian Tour events because power in numbers, the more players inside the top 100 that come to play the higher the strength of field."

With just eight tournaments on the LIV schedule this season and super-sized purses of US$40 million at each event, players will have plenty of money and time.

What the LIV Series cannot offer yet are ranking points, the currency that allows entry into golf's biggest events, the four Majors - the US Masters, British Open, US Open and PGA Championship.

"Anything we sanction and counts on our order of merit gets world ranking points," explained Cho Minn Thant.

"A lot of players have identified the window between November and January and that is perfect for us as it is either the very end of our season or the start.

"It suddenly makes us a lot more attractive to sponsors."

Along with an increase in prize money, Asian Tour players have been guaranteed up to eight of the 48 coveted spots in 48-man fields at LIV events this season with some of golf's biggest draws heading to Asia to the delight of sponsors, promoters and fans.

REUTERS