Asian Tour unhappy with U.S. PGA

By Grant Clark
Bloomberg News Service

Asian golf officials criticized the U.S. PGA Tour for holding its first golf tournament in South Korea today following an invitation from the government.

"This is about 30 Americans coming in on our territory and playing for a lot of money and taking away a lot of money," said Louis Martin, chief executive of the Asian Tour.

The Shinhan Korea Golf Championship at the Jung Mun Golf Club on Jeju Island is part of the PGA Tour's Challenge Season, a series of events staged outside the main schedule. It has players including former British Open winners Mark Calcavecchia and Nick Faldo, and Korea's K.J. Choi vying for a $1 million winner's check from a prize fund of $3.55 million. Others in the field include Duffy Waldorf and world No. 6 Padraig Harrington.

The tournament begins on the same day that the Asian Tour opens its new season with the Volvo China Open in Shanghai, China. The total prize money for that tournament is $1 million. The Asian Tour refused to release any of its players for the Korean tournament, Martin said.

"We're assured by the PGA it's a one-off," Martin said.

Perhaps not. Bob Combs, a spokesman for the PGA Tour, said the PGA will review the event after this week and would "be open" to discussing an additional tournament with the government and Korean PGA. It might even consider bringing a World Golf Championship event to South Korea if there is enough interest.

Combs said the Korean government approached the PGA Tour last year requesting a tournament that would showcase the country. The final three rounds will be aired in the United States — on USA Network tomorrow, ESPN on Saturday and NBC on Sunday.