February 1st 2012, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian Tour has announced its full 2012 Schedules for the elite Asian Tour and also Asian Development Tour, which will consist of a combined minimum of 35 tournaments for the region’s top stars and upcoming players.

The Asian Tour will sanction no fewer than 26 tournaments over the next 11 months spreading from the Far East in Japan and Korea, via its successful collaboration with the Japan Golf Tour and Korean Golf Tour, through to exciting destinations such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India, which is in partnership with the PGTI, and all the way to Europe in Switzerland thanks to a long-standing alliance with The European Tour.

The Asian Development Tour, celebrating its third year, will host a minimum of nine tournaments. The circuit, which is aimed at nurturing new talents and rewards the top-three finishers on the rankings with Asian Tour cards for the following season, started with five tournaments in 2010 before growing to eight last season.

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said that various discussions are currently in progress to add several other tournaments on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour Schedules.

“Our 2012 Schedules for both the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour will provide numerous playing opportunities for our members to compete at the highest level and also at the developmental stage in Asia.

“Our well established and proven Tour structure will continue to deliver world-class performances and tournaments throughout our new season as well as unearth new champions and players through the tournaments on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.”

With the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School having attracted a massive turnout of 579 golfers from all over the world to Thailand two weeks ago, Han said it was another strong endorsement towards the Asian Tour’s mission to grow professional golf across the region.

“As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, we will continue to create vast playing opportunities for players from all around the world. The magnificent turnout of golfers at our Qualifying School is a testament to our growth and appeal as a major international and recognised Tour,” said Han.

The Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Air Bagan will launch the 2012 season on Thursday after making a welcome return following a one-year lapse while a new tournament, the HANDA FALDO CAMBODIAN CLASSIC, will make its debut in March.

Four tournaments, the Panasonic Open India, Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS, CJ Invitational Hosted by K.J. Choi and Thailand Golf Championship, will continue to feature significantly in 2012 after making successful debuts last season.

The Asian Tour, which is a members’ organization and has a cosmopolitan membership consisting of players from 30 different nationalities and led by reigning Order of Merit champion Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines, will visit the Philippines, India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Macau, China and Hong Kong this season.

Han added: “With Corporate Asia’s continued backing and the support of a diversified group of tournament promoters, we will continue to provide world-class golf tournaments across Asia and beyond our borders. It will be another exciting year for us as we steam ahead with our tournaments.”

The second half of the season will see the major and lucrative events being staged, including the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour, Barclays Singapore Open, Hong Kong Open, WGC-HSBC Champions in China, CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia, Thailand Golf Championship and Omega European Masters.

Han said organisers of the Macau Open and Hero Indian Open will announce the dates of their events in due course.

2012 ASIAN TOUR SCHEDULE

JAN 11-14: QUALIFYING SCHOOL FIRST STAGE, IMPERIAL LAKEVIEW GC, SPRINGFIELD ROYAL CC, BANYAN GC AND MAJESTIC CREEK GR, HUA HIN, THAILAND.

JAN 18-21: QUALIFYING SCHOOL FINAL STAGE PRESENTED BY SPORTS AUTHORITY OF THAILAND, SPRINGFIELD ROYAL CC AND IMPERIAL LAKEVIEW, HUA HIN, THAILAND.

FEB 2-5: ZAYKABAR MYANMAR OPEN PRESENTED BY AIR BAGAN, ROYAL MINGALARDON GCC, YANGON, US$300,000.

FEB 9-12: ICTSI PHILIPPINE OPEN, WACK WACK GCC, MANILA, US$300,000.

FEB 16-19: AVANTHA MASTERS, DLF GCC, GURGAON, INDIA, €1.8 MILLION (APPROX. US$2.4 MILLION).

FEB 22-25: SAIL OPEN, DELHI GC, NEW DELHI, INDIA, US$300,000

MAR 1-2: THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP INTERNATIONAL FINAL QUALIFYING – ASIA, AMATA SPRING CC, CHONBURI, THAILAND

MAR 14-17: HANDA FALDO CAMBODIAN CLASSIC, VENUE TBA, US$300,000.

MAR 29-APR 1: PANASONIC OPEN INDIA, DELHI GC,  NEW DELHI, US$300,000.

APR 5-8: ISPS HANDA SINGAPORE CLASSIC, ORCHID CC, US$400,000

APR 12-15: MAYBANK MALAYSIAN OPEN, KUALA LUMPUR GCC, US$2.5 MILLION.

APR 19-22: INDONESIAN MASTERS PRESENTED BY PNTS, ROYALE JAKARTA GC, US$750,000.

APR 26-29: BALLANTINE’S CHAMPIONSHIP, BLACKSTONE RESORT, SEOUL, KOREA, €2.2 MILLION (APPROX. US$2.9 MILLION).

JUNE 14-17: QUEEN’S CUP, SANTIBURI SAMUI CC, SAMUI, THAILAND, US$300,000

AUG 30-SEPT 2: OMEGA EUROPEAN MASTERS, CRAN-SUR-SIERRE GC, SWITZERLAND, €2 MILLION (APPROX US$2.6 MILLION)

SEPT 5-8: WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS SELANGOR MASTERS, KOTA PERMAI GCC, SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA, RM1.2 MILLION  (APPROX US$395,000)

SEPT 13-16: YEANGDER TOURNAMENT PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, LINKOU INTERNATIONAL GCC, TAIPEI, CHINESE TAIPEI, US$300,000

SEPT 20-23: ASIA-PACIFIC PANASONIC OPEN, HIGASHI HIRONO GC, HYOGO, JAPAN, ï¿¥150 MILLION (APPROX US$1.9 MILLION)

OCT 4-7: CJ INVITATIONAL HOSTED BY K.J. CHOI, HAESLEY NINE BRIDGES GC, SEOUL, KOREA, US$750,000

OCT 25-28: CIMB ASIA PACIFIC CLASSIC, MALAYSIA, MINES RESORT AND GC, KUALA LUMPUR, US$6.1 MILLION

NOV 1-4: WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS, VENUE TBA, US$7 MILLION

NOV 1-4: MERCURIES TAIWAN MASTERS, TAIWAN GCC, US$600,000

NOV 8-11: BARCLAYS SINGAPORE OPEN, SENTOSA GC, US$6 MILLION

NOV 15-18: HONG KONG OPEN, HONG KONG GC, US$2.75 MILLION

NOV 22-25: KING’S CUP, VENUE TBA, THAILAND, US$300,000

DEC 6-9: THAILAND GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP, AMATA SPRING CC, US$1 MILLION

DEC 13-16: EVENT TO BE ANNOUNCED

EVENTS WITH DATES TO BE CONFIRMED: 

MACAU OPEN, MACAU GCC, US$750,000

HERO INDIAN OPEN, DELHI GC, US$1.25 MILLION


2012 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR SCHEDULE

MARCH 8-11: PGM CCM IMPIAN MASTERS, IMPIAN GCC, MALAYSIA, RM180,000 (APPROX US$60,000)

APRIL 4-7: PGM JOHOR CLASSIC, JOHOR CC, MALAYSIA, RM180,000 (APPROX US$60,000)

APRIL 26-29: CLEARWATER MASTERS, CLEARWATER SANCTUARY GR, MALAYSIA, US$75,000

MAY 10-13: PGM A’FAMOSA CLASSIC, A’FAMOSA GR, MALAYSIA, RM180,000 (APPROX US$60,000)

JUNE 25-28: PGM TERENGGANU MASTERS, AWANA KIJAL GOLF BEACH AND SPA RESORT, MALAYSIA, RM220,000 (APPROX US$70,000)

JULY 5-8: TAMAN DAYU CHAMPIONSHIP, TAMAN DAYU GCR, SURABAYA, US$75,000

AUG 23-26: BALLANTINE’S TAIWAN CHAMPIONSHIP, VENUE TBA, TAIPEI, US$110,000

OCT 4-7: PGM SARAWAK CLASSIC, SARAWAK GC, MALAYSIA, RM180,000 (APPROX US$60,000)

NOV 8-11: PGM-MIDF-KLGCC MASTERS, KUALA LUMPUR GCC, RM180,000 (APPROX US$60,000)