Post by Stanley Hetz on Aug 17, 2005 10:38:35 GMT -5
I was just reading an interesting article, and I thought that some of you might like to check it out. I am posting a copy of the article here for everyone to read, but please be sure to check out the page where I got the article from, which is at www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_17-8-2005_pg2_24
China golf tour swings into action
BEIJING: Eighty-two players made final preparations on Tuesday for the inaugural event of golf’s new China Tour, which organisers hope will produce a crop of stars to challenge for the sport’s top honours.
The $100,000 tournament at the Elephant Club here has attracted professionals from all over the country including Li Chao, the China Golf Association’s (CGA) top player of the last two seasons. “I hope the China Tour will eventually get up among the top six tours in the world: up with the PGA Tour, the European PGA Tour, the Asian Tour and the Japan Tour. This is a good development. Ill certainly do everything I can to help this tour,” said Li. Golf is enjoying burgeoning popularity in the world’s most populous nation which this year is hosting five European tour-sanctioned events with prize money of up to $5 million, drawing top names including Tiger Woods.
The CGA is in a five-year deal with the Singapore-based World Sports Group (WSG), which will organise four tournaments this year expanding to at least 10 a year by 2008. Television rights are in the works, with WSG expecting to produce in-house 16 weeks of highlight programmes to be run on local Chinese television stations. “We have watched the development of golf in China with great interest and have always believed that, for the sport to thrive, China must produce its own talent, rather than just flying in the world’s top players and flying them back out afterwards,” said WSG senior vice president Nick Mould.
“We feel the time is right for a domestic tour to succeed, providing it is pitched at the right level. We also believe the interest is there among potential sponsors now to become involved in something more sustainable.” The inaugural event tees off at the demanding Elephant Club course on Wednesday and is scheduled to finish on Friday after three rounds. afp
BEIJING: Eighty-two players made final preparations on Tuesday for the inaugural event of golf’s new China Tour, which organisers hope will produce a crop of stars to challenge for the sport’s top honours.
The $100,000 tournament at the Elephant Club here has attracted professionals from all over the country including Li Chao, the China Golf Association’s (CGA) top player of the last two seasons. “I hope the China Tour will eventually get up among the top six tours in the world: up with the PGA Tour, the European PGA Tour, the Asian Tour and the Japan Tour. This is a good development. Ill certainly do everything I can to help this tour,” said Li. Golf is enjoying burgeoning popularity in the world’s most populous nation which this year is hosting five European tour-sanctioned events with prize money of up to $5 million, drawing top names including Tiger Woods.
The CGA is in a five-year deal with the Singapore-based World Sports Group (WSG), which will organise four tournaments this year expanding to at least 10 a year by 2008. Television rights are in the works, with WSG expecting to produce in-house 16 weeks of highlight programmes to be run on local Chinese television stations. “We have watched the development of golf in China with great interest and have always believed that, for the sport to thrive, China must produce its own talent, rather than just flying in the world’s top players and flying them back out afterwards,” said WSG senior vice president Nick Mould.
“We feel the time is right for a domestic tour to succeed, providing it is pitched at the right level. We also believe the interest is there among potential sponsors now to become involved in something more sustainable.” The inaugural event tees off at the demanding Elephant Club course on Wednesday and is scheduled to finish on Friday after three rounds. afp
