Pack Up the Van! Champions Tour is Heading to South Korea Next Season
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 11, 2009 10:44 AM EDT
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PrintI got this release while I was out last night with the announcement that the Champions Tour will be playing an event in South Korea in the fall of 2010.
The PGA TOUR announced today that a multi-year agreement has been reached to bring the Champions Tour to Asia for the first time with the debut of an official tournament in the fall of 2010.
Now, why Asia and why now? Part of the answer comes in the second paragraph.
The tournament will be played at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo International Business District (IBD), located 40 miles west of Seoul in the country’s largest current economic development project. Songdo IBD is being developed by Gale International, a New York-based real estate development and investment firm. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea is being co-developed by Gale International and Kitson & Partners, a leading golf community and club development company.
The other part of the answer is buried a little in Tim Finchem's quote in the release.
"The Korean market is an important one to the PGA TOUR and we welcome this addition to the Champions Tour schedule and the opportunity to further elevate golf in South Korea with an event of this magnitude."
Translation: The European Tour is trying to get into Korea with the Ballatines Championship and we're going to stake our claim over there with this event and the WGC-ish event in China.
This event will have a record $3 million prize pool and be managed entirely by IMG.
I cannot say that I'm surprised. The Champ Tour's business model works fairly well here in the States because of a strong sponsor base that really uses their dollars wisely. They don't need a PGA Tour size investment to get in on schmoozing with some really talented golfers. But, it's kind of tough to turn this type of thing down in our economy. So long as this kind of play is a one-off - unlike what happened with Ginn on the LPGA Tour - then this is a good move.
Who's buying me tickets for South Korea?
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RB – YOU take the van…the rest of us will fly. :-)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Yeah, I was trying to think of some Korean player that may have been a potential headliner/influence. I think it’s just Jack and IMG’s influence.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 11, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
They’ll invite Jumbo Ozaki – not Korean, but still a huge regional golf hero. Maybe TC Chen, too.
Was there ever a Korean on the PGA Tour who would be over the age of 50 now ? I was under the impression that KJ Choi was the first Korean to make the Tour – and definitely the first to win.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
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