By David Ferguson
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The OneAsia Press Conference on Sunday, April 19 – (L-R) Lee Jung-hoon of the Korea Golf Tour, Kim Dong-wook of the Korea Golf Association, Zhang Xiaoning of the China Golf Association, and Ben Sellenger, Commissioner of the PGA of Australia.
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The rest of the world will have to start getting used to it. China is willing to start flexing its muscles on the international scene, politely requesting a greater role in proportion to the country's growing strength, and showing a willingness to firmly appropriate that role in circumstances where the request meets a less than forthcoming welcome.
As with international finance, so with international golf. At the start of the year a new Asian golf body announced its arrival on the scene – the OneAsiaTour. Set up in direct competition to the existing Asia Tour, the founding members are three of the most powerful bodies in Asia/Pacific golf – the PGA of Australia, the Korea Golf Tour (KPGA) and the Korea Golf Association (KGA) – and a body which will confidently expect to become one such in the coming decade, the China Golf Association.
Less clear is the status of the Japan Golf Tour Organization's relationship (JGTO) with the new body. While it has been announced as one of the founding members of OneAsia, rumors continue to circulate about the extent of JGTO commitment, and it has been suggested that the JGTO's future participation is contingent on a satisfactory settlement of any disputes with the Asian Tour.
It was noteworthy that no Japanese golfers took part in the 2009 Volvo China Open, the first tournament to be officially sanctioned by OneAsia. Nor was there any Japanese presence at the OneAsia press conference on the final day of the Volvo China Open. Very much present however was Zhang Xiaoning, head of the CGA, who was commendably frank and forthright in responding to questions from the media.
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Tranquility on the CBD Golf Course – but we may be in for some storms in Asian golf in the months to come.
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He was accompanied by Ben Sellenger, commissioner of the PGA of Australia, who also took an active part in the proceedings, and flanked by Lee Jung-hoon of the Korea Golf Tour and Kim Dong-wook of the Korea Golf Association. The Koreans said little in the course of the conference, but to be fair most of the questions, in English and Chinese, were directed to or were specifically relevant to Messrs Zhang and Sellenger.
Sellenger first confirmed the status of the fledgling organization: "OneAsia is a partnership between the China Golf Association, the Korea Golf Association, the Korea Golf tour and the PGA of Australia," he said. "It is fully-owned and controlled by these parties. We are in the process of incorporating a new structure that will house the OneAsia structure, and to streamline that process we have set up an interim board that is representative of the founding partners."
Sellenger also confirmed that in contrast to many of the existing world bodies like the PGA and the European Tour, in which players are active members, OneAsia is not a membership organization: "With regard to the role of the players, OneAsia is not at present a membership body. It is owned and controlled by the golf bodies. Increasingly over time as the OneAsia model develops, the players will pay a greater role in the organization."
