Dubai: The Asian Tour will do all it can to ensure the Order Of Merit and Rookie of the Year contest runs until the final event of the season from next year, according to Indian golfer Jeev Milka Singh.
The two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner was referring to no-shows from key players ahead of this week’s inaugural €500,000 (Dh2.28 million) Asian Tour season-ending Dubai Open, which runs from Thursday to Sunday at the Els Club in Dubai Sports City.
The USA’s David Lipsky has already won the Order of Merit and Australia’s Cameron Smith has secured the Rookie of the Year contest. Both have already been awarded their trophies by the Asian Tour and have decided not to participate in this week’s finale.
Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, vice-chairman and chief executive officer of organisers Golf in Dubai, said he hoped for improvements. “Something went wrong,” said Bu Amim. “We’ll find out, and I hope next year will be different. You count on certain people coming and you promote it that way and if they don’t come, it doesn’t help the tournament.
“Rory McIlroy had already won the European Tour Order of Merit but he still turned up to the DP World Tour Championship last month, he didn’t have to but he still came, you have to show respect to the tour.
“This is the first one [Dubai Open] so it’s understandable. The idea only came in April so it’s been a challenge just to get this far. These things happen,” he added.
The Asian Tour originally held an event at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club in the mid-nineties, but it fell through due to a lack of sponsorship.
Singh said the Asian Tour would look to make the season more climactic next year, following in the footsteps of both the European Tour and PGA Tour, which have increased prize funds in the last four events of the season to ensure everything goes down to the wire. Ironically, that still didn’t happen in Europe this season as McIlroy won the Race to Dubai in the penultimate event.
“I don’t know whether the sponsor can understand, but from a players’ perspective I can understand,” he said. “They’ve played so many weeks in a row and are maybe injured or tired.
“The second guy in the Order of Merit [India’s Anirban Lahiri] cannot reach the first [David Lipsky] even if he wins this week, so that could be the reason [for Lahiri’s absence]. But I still feel this is the last event of the season and they should give it some respect. It would be great for them to come and thank the sponsor for putting the money up so that we can make a livelihood, and if the Asian Tour can hold the presentation until after the final event it would be good for the tournament.
“The first year, there are going to be teething problems but starting from next year I am sure things are going to be better. I understand the Asian Tour will make every effort to make sure this event keeps happening.
“In the last event, it would be good if the prize fund was such that everything was still to play for, so players could still come into the final event and take the Order of Merit. I think the concept in Europe and America is good and the Asian Tour is working along those lines in the future. A bonus pool in the final event would also ensure players tried to finish as high as possible in order to be rewarded.”
