AUGUSTA – An infusion of Saudi Arabian cash and an established international series has raised the Asian Tour’s profile, but not enough yet to attract LIV Golf’s big names in search of world ranking points.

When LIV Golf’s backers the Public Investment Fund (PIF) said it would pump US$400 million (S$541.3 million) into the Asian Tour, it was thought that would provide an option for players banned from the PGA and DP World Tours to accumulate world ranking points, the main currency for entry into the four Majors.

A few lesser-known LIV members have taken advantage of that, but Asian Tour chief executive officer Cho Minn Thant said the big-name bump has not yet happened.

“Admittedly, you don’t see the Dustin Johnsons of the world, not the Phil Mickelsons, not the Bryson Dechambeaus because they have qualified for the Major events already,” said Cho on April 10, outside Augusta National.

“Playing 14 events on the LIV league and four Majors doesn’t leave much more room for them to travel and play golf.

“But mid-range LIV players are playing a lot on the Asian Tour and it has really elevated the strength of field from our side and (media) interest.”

Players like Johnson, Mickelson and Bubba Watson, who have Green Jackets in their closets and have lifetime exemptions to the Masters, are feeling no urgency to chase ranking points.

LIV Golf applied for recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking, which plays a key role in determining entry into the Majors, in July 2022. But it was rejected in October 2023 and LIV withdrew its application in March.

The recent decision could prompt renewed interest in the Asian Tour from LIV members who earned exemptions into the blue-riband events through past results but could one day be left out with no ranking points.

Over the last three years, the Asian Tour has entered a growth cycle and is also becoming less reliant on Saudi cash, said Cho, as sponsors get onboard. “I think we are about where we expected to be after two, three years,” he said.

“We’ve expanded very quickly over the last three years. It is great to see the corporate world starting to support the tournaments, rather than LIV or Saudi having to underwrite all of them.

“Post-Covid we still have not seen South-east Asia recover as fast as we would have liked and the Middle East is thriving right now – we have an event in Oman, one in Qatar, two events in Saudi.”

Separately, LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman was spotted on the grounds of Augusta National on April 10, a year after the Australian was publicly snubbed by the Masters organisers for being a “distraction”.

The 69-year-old was spotted among the crowd at the practice session by the Washington Post, who said he was there as a ticketed spectator.

His pugnacious leadership of LIV, which has recruited a number of top stars from the PGA Tour, has made him a divisive figure but he said he had received a warm welcome from fans.

“Walking around here today, there’s not one person who said to me, ‘Why did you do LIV?’” he said, while Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley struck a more conciliatory tone during his media address.

“There’s been hundreds of people stopping me and saying, ‘Hey, what you’re doing is fantastic’. To me, that tells you that what we have... is good for the game of golf.”

REUTERS, AFP