Looks like everybody loves Asia! Last week and this, every major golf tour in the world was in the continent and, judging by how they have been trying to woo Asia, I think we are going to see more weeks like these in the future.

Last week, the PGA Tour was in Kuala Lumpur playing the CIMB Classic, the European Tour was in Shanghai for the BMW Masters and the LPGA Tour was in Taiwan.

This week, the stay will be extended for all three, as the PGA and European Tours head to the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, while the LPGA Tour finishes its six-week Asian swing with the Mizuno Classic.

I am all for the bigger Tours to have co-sanctioned events in places like Asia and South America. Obviously, these are vibrant markets with lots of marketing potential and thus attractive to multi-national sponsors. But the presence of these tours, and their players, also provides the local players with a great opportunity to showcase their skills against better competition, as well as giving them a chance to possibly qualify for these tours.

There is a lot more media coverage and fan interest and that helps make the game popular and sow the seeds in the minds of other sponsors to start thinking of doing their own events for the local tours.

But what is paramount to this is that the international tours do not ride roughshod over the local bodies, and for the local tours to ensure that they cash in on the interest generated by these big events.

For example, I see no reason why the PGA Tour cannot extend more than 10 spots for the Asian Tour at the CIMB Classic. It’s a field of 78 and it would just be awesome if a few more Asian players got an opportunity in the tournament.

On its part, I hope the Asian Tour makes an all-out effort to patch up with the Chinese Golf Association. It’s a ridiculous situation that the biggest country, and the biggest economy in Asia, is not partnering with the biggest tour in the continent. I am sure the benefits would be mutual, as Chinese players will be able to play in more tournaments offering world ranking points.

I am really impressed by how the LPGA Tour has embraced Asia. Obviously it helps that so many players from the continent are doing well on the Tour. But to be able to host eight events on the annual calendar only proves that they are doing something right.

This week, there is bound to be a new champion in WGC-HSBC Champions as Dustin Johnson won’t be there to defend his title. Marcel Siem’s victory at the BMW Masters catapulted him to No. 4 in the Race to Dubai, which eases things a bit for Rory McIlroy as far as becoming the new European No. 1 is concerned. A win by any of the players in the top-10 would have made it a much closer fight.

— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four-time champion on the European Tour