Asian Tour chief has ‘no regrets’ over LIV alliance
Success of past 10 months and opportunities for players ‘validates decision’, Cho Minn Thant says
The Asian Tour’s season wraps up at the Indonesia Masters this week, capping off a tumultuous year that has put it at the centre of a rift threatening to pull golf apart.
A partnership with LIV Golf inflated its coffers by US$300 million, enabling the creation of its seven-tournament International Series, and helping raise the tour’s profile in the process.
The cost though has come in the loss of previous alliances with the European Tour, now the DP World Tour, and the PGA Tour, who both reacted strongly to the departure of several high-profile players to the Saudi-backed circuit.
Still, on balance, Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour CEO and commissioner, said there were “no regrets” and the success of the past 10 months and opportunities for his organisation’s players “validates the decision”.
“I think it was fairly clear cut that it was going to be one or the other, whether we went with DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, or went the way of LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia and the International Series,” he said.
“We knew that we were going to lose the co-sanctioned events, which were the Malaysian Open, the Indian open, and Hong Kong Open, but we’ve been able to replace them with the International Series. So from that perspective, it’s quite clear that we made the right decision and there’s certainly no regrets from our side.”
Comments made by Tiger Woods this week, where he said Greg Norman, the face of LIV Golf, would have to step down for the two sides to resume any partnership, would suggest reconciliation was as far away as ever.
And while Cho said a resumption of normal relations might be “wishful thinking”, ideally he would like to be in a position where the European Tour again co-sanctioned events.
“We still communicate as federation tours,” Cho said.
“There’s still round-table discussions when it comes to the Federation of PGA Tours. There’s discussions about the World Golf rankings, but there’s no formal discussions about resuming the alliance that we once had.”
Given that, attention next year turns to increasing the number of International Series and regular tour events, with prize money also going up.
An announcement is expected next week on what the 2023 season will look like, although Cho said the return of tournaments in Macau, Hong Kong and the mainland were among his top priorities.
Events in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam have also been targeted for a 25 to 26 tournament schedule, while the International Series will add three stops to its calendar.
Prize money will be boosted too, with the minimum pot at events rising to US$2 million, while the top tournaments will offer a purse of US$2.5 million.
After a season of relative normality following the years of Covid-19, the aim now is to build a tour that could become the third main circuit for golfers, and Cho said aside from prize money, and attracting more of the big names to play in some events, fan engagement was also essential.
“Traditionally in Asia, the crowds have not been that big at Asia Tour events, wherever we go. I’d like to see more fans, more sponsor engagement, and more of a following of the Asian Tour,” he said. “And maybe that comes from better players and more recognisable faces playing.”
While the LIV Golf League will be the top of the pyramid in Asia, Cho also knows that “breaking into other markets” will be vital if the tour is to raise its profile even further.
I think it was fairly clear cut that it was going to be one or the other, whether we went with DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, or went the way of LIV Golf
CHO MINN THANT, ASIAN TOUR CEO