Future of game is ‘sleeping giant’ of Asia, not America, LIV chief Norman insists
It was not long ago that players on the Asian Tour circuit were on the brink of quitting golf entirely.
Almost two years without competition had left many without work and questioning their future on the Tour. Fast forward to today and things could not be more different.
At the just ended LIV Invitational in Bangkok a very different picture of golf in Asia was on full display at the pristine surroundings of Stonehill.
Fans were back, optimism had returned and a genuine sense of energy could be felt among players – especially those cutting their teeth on the amateur circuit.
A post-Covid expansion of the Asian Tour is now on the horizon, thanks to a 10-year US$300 million investment from LIV Golf, a wave of new talent from Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat to Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho and Asia, it seems, is ready to reassert its place on the global circuit.
For Greg Norman, the LIV Golf CEO, Asia was always going to be
a central part of his global expansion plans. “Asia is the sleeping giant,” Norman told the Post at the LIV Invitational in Bangkok.
“America is not always going to be the place to be and I say that with 100 per cent confidence. We wouldn’t have got to where we are today without Asia.
“Our commitment to Asia was basically the key in the door that unlocked it all.”
After staging its first event in Thailand, LIV is now said to be eyeing events in Hong Kong and on the mainland, Singapore, Vietnam and Australia for next year and beyond, a prospect that has players excited about the future.
“Just look at what is happening in golf today, 60 per cent of all golf course construction globally is between the Middle East and the Far East,” Norman said. “Does that tell you something about what’s going to happen in Asia in the next 25 years?”
Asian Tour veteran Anirban Lahiri, who signed with LIV in August after stints on the European and PGA tours, said: “I think this investment into the Asian Tour is necessary, and it’s timely. There’s a lot of potential.
“If you look at where we were during Covid, a lot of my friends who play on the Asian Tour were without a job for almost 18 months.”
Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour commissioner and CEO, called LIV’s investment in the Tour a “huge boost”. In addition to the 15 Asian Tour events and its flagship Saudi International tournament, the number of International Series events would expand significantly, Cho said, adding his organisation would not be where it is without LIV’s investment.
“To have this type of event in Asia after two years worth of Covid pandemic, it’s just a spectacle that we haven’t seen,” he said.
60 per cent of golf course construction globally is between the Middle East and the Far East
GREG NORMAN, LIV GOLF BOSS