The world number two ranked golfer, Lee Westwood, has spoken out in favour of a fifth major being added to the men’s golf calendar. He added that for him, the ideal place for the tournament would be Asia or Australia.
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Westwood was speaking on the HSBC champion’s website and he said that serious consideration should be given to a fifth major being held in Asia because golf in the region was strong and the region’s economy was stable. He pointed out that even though men’s golf was thriving around the world, a fifth major in an increasingly influential part of the world would be a massive boost for the game. The strength of the Asian economy added to the call for a major he said, adding that the sponsors would be happy to finance the event. On the women’s golf tour circuit, Asian ladies are winning on a regular basis; another indicator of the strength of the game in Asia. For many years now, Asian golf has been the strongest in the women’s game, but now their male counterparts are becoming increasingly influential in the world game. This year, the European Tour Schedule has eight tournaments planned for the Asian region, with China playing host to three of them, including the World Cup and the season ending WGC HSBC Champions. To date, the only Asian man to win is South Korean YE Yang, who beat Tiger Woods in a play off in the 2009 US PGA Championship. While some of the tournaments are suffering from lack of finances, countries such as China are willing to use their strong economy to attract the world’s best. There is no shortage of Asian countries that would be willing to host a fifth major. The game in China has taken off at a significant pace and according to a recent article; there are more than 600 golf courses throughout the land. Singapore is another country that could lay claim to hosting a major. The Barclay’s Singapore Open is among the biggest tournaments in Asia with a jackpot prize of US$1 million. The Korean golfer, KJ Choi is hosting an event at the magnificent Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Club with a field of 120 golfers. When China is taken into account with their tournaments, it makes sense to consider the region for a major tournament. Indeed it would seem logical to hold an Asian major in a different country every year. An Asian major cannot be spoken about without mentioning the possibility of Thailand being host. What better place for a tournament of such importance than the beautiful beach paradise of Pattaya? It offers everything needed for hosting an event for the world’s top players.
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{timg title:=”Asia Ready For A Golf Major” thumb:=”images/stories/srv/blog/golfmajor.jpg” img:=”images/stories/srv/blog/golfmajor-b.jpg” gal:=”gallery-content”} The number of world class golf courses in the area is quite staggering with such clubs as Siam Country Club or the world famous Laem Chabang International Country Club capable of staging an event of such magnitude. Pattaya is one and a half hour from the Bangkok International Airport and with first class accommodation throughout the area, there would be no problem dealing with the influx of supporters. For the spectators, after the day’s golf, there is a wonderful variety of restaurants and entertainment to be enjoyed. Taking into consideration all of these points, Pattaya seems to be a sensible choice to stage a fifth major golf tournament.
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