Intercontinental Ballistics

BY Grant Dodd | 23 Mar 2009

Kyi Hla Han is one of the most personable guys you could meet. As an Asian Tour member in the mid to late 1990’s, he was always ready to say hi and have a chat. The talented and popular right hander put Burmese golf on the map, in the process forging a profitable career for himself on the Asian and Japanese Tours.

When injury bought a halt to his playing days, he began to venture into the administration side of professional golf. In 2004, when the Asian Tour evolved into an organisation run by the players, Han became involved in the players committee, and then stepped into the role of Executive Chairman in 2006.

Han has resided over an impressive period of growth for the Asian Tour. With a total purse increase from $9 million dollars in 2004 to an estimated $36 million in 2009, things have been rolling along nicely. Notwithstanding the general apprehension that permeates the world’s business environment, all would appear to be rosy in the world of Kyi Hla Han.

The reality however is markedly different. The agitated tone of the missives currently coming from Han reveal a man at odds with his gentle persona, and reflect the fact that both his leadership and tour are under siege. Instead of an organisation at the top of its game, the Asian Tour is enveloped in a series of conflicts that look to have serious ramifications for its stability.

At the heart of this unrest is a battle royal being played out for control of the tournament golf environment in Asia. On one side rests the Asian Tour. On the other, the nascent OneAsia group, a partnership between the Australasian Tour, China Golf Association, the Korean PGA and the Korean Golf Association with a stated ambition to build a golfing ’Super Series’ across the Asia-Pacific region.

Negotiations on the concept have been underway for a number of years, with Han and the Asian Tour being active participants in that process. Whilst China, South Korea and Australia have made a commitment to make OneAsia a reality in 2009, the Asian Tour has distanced itself from any involvement.

Han has made little attempt to hide the fact that he considers the Australasian Tour both protagonist and instigator to this action,

“Plans to launch this new Asia-Pacific golf tour are being aggressively driven by the PGA of Australia, whose tour is diminishing,” said Han.

“I will be very clear. We do not recognise OneAsia at all.”

“What they have done is to the detriment of the game in Asia.”

However, demonising Australia’s involvement conveniently serves to obfuscate the critical fact that the Asian Tour’s relationships with China and Korea have irrevocably broken down.

Whilst this breakdown has previously been merely hinted at, it is about to have more concrete and far reaching ramifications. Strong indications have emerged that Korea is set to announce further changes that will effect up to three events on the Asian Tour schedule.

The first, the Ballantines Championship (a co-sanctioned European Tour event), will have the remainder of its field comprised of OneAsia members. The GS Caltex Maekyung Open, and the SK Telecom Open will be either Korean Tour stand alone events or co-sanctioned with OneAsia. In a crushing blow to their schedule, the Asian Tour will have no further involvement in these events.

Additionally, rumours persist that a new event, the Jaidee International (April 30- May 3), is on shaky ground. With China setting it adrift by also committing the China Open and Pine Valley Beijing Open to OneAsia, the Asian Tour faces the prospect of having to inform its members that following the Black Mountain Masters in Thailand this week, their next dedicated playing opportunity may not be until July 23 in Indonesia.

The collapse of the relationship with the key powerbrokers of Asian golf has the potential to marginalise the Asian Tour. Their existing support base may eventually be forced to make a fundamental choice. Stick with the Asian Tour, and be locked out of exposure to the crucial markets of Korea and China (and potentially Japan, in time), or join with the opposition.

Of equal gravity for the financial stability of the Asian Tour is a pivotal court case set to be heard in Hong Kong. World Sports Group, the Asian Tour’s longstanding broadcast partner, is seeking a ruling and damages over the Asian Tour’s failure to renegotiate their broadcast rights contract which expired at the end of 2008.

The Singapore based World Sport Group claim that the terms of their contract clearly stipulates that they hold both first and last option to negotiate, but the Asian Tour is said to have appointed an alternative provider. The case is yet to have its day in court, but the spectre of a substantial damages award against them is a distraction that they can patently do without at this point in time.

Needless to say, it is a time of some difficulty for Kyi Hla Han, and the bad news hasn’t stopped there. His second in charge, Gerry Norquist, a former Asian Tour member, resigned from his role in November 2008. His departure, along with fellow executive Andrew Pitts, is said to be less than amicable.

In their absence, Han has taken on greater responsibility. His sister and wife now hold key management and consultative roles. The sense of an evolving personal fiefdom has not gone unnoticed.

Long time tour member Hendrik Buhrmann, in an interview with Golf Week, summed up the concerns of many,

“If you don’t have professional people running the tour, it will disintegrate sooner or later.”

Where the cards will end up falling is anyone’s guess. It is a time of seismic change for professional golf across the Asia-Pacific region, with much at stake for all involved.

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