Asian Golf Issue 259: June 2022 by Asia Pacific Golf Group

ISSUE

259

JUNE 2022

THE BIG BOUNCE BACK – GOLF TOURISM BEGINS TO STIR! After more than two years of a seemingly neverending downward spiral, tourism is beginning to show signs of a pick-up. This is seen as a welcome relief to golf clubs throughout Asia in general and Southeast Asia in particular which is the hub of golf tourism for the region.

Over the past few months, the dark side of professional golf was unravelled as LIV Golf worked at getting its new series, LIV Golf Invitationals up and running amidst a constant barrage of attacks from the golf establishment, partisan media and virtually anybody who wanted to take a swipe at this new tour. Lesser entities would have wilted and given up but not LIV Golf – though embattled, it showed tremendous fortitude, focus and discipline to get on with the job at hand. Not only did the strongly funded new tour display great resolve, but its backers also made a further commitment to beef up the initial funding of US$2 billion with an infusion of a further US$2 billion which is a solid indication that LIV Golf is for the long haul, and it is here to stay.

REGULARS

SHARED THOUGHTS | FROM PUBLISHER

Work on the staging of the 2022 edition of the Asia Paciﬁc Golf Summit (APGS 2022) is rolling down the tracks and everything points to a strong come-back for what has always been described as one of the best international summits on the business of golf.

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS

Much has been written and said about the entry of this new player – mostly vehemently critical and biased. Against this backdrop, ASIAN GOLF’s Publisher, Mike Sebastian reached out to LIV Golf for a discussion with Greg Norman who graciously obliged to take our questions. In a no-holds-barred session, Norman took every question that ASIAN GOLF shot his way, and the following is the complete interview with the man leading the world’s “richest professional golf tour”.

WILSON ROLLS OUT A BIG ONE!

The incredible staying power of Wilson yet again manifests itself in its latest golf ball – the brand-new TRIAD. It’s a ball destined for the big league, and it draws from a rich heritage that dates back to 1954 when Wilson developed and sold the Wilson Staff golf ball, the ﬁrst ball that emphasized power.

THINGS ARE SIMPLY HUNKY DORY AT THE ASIAN TOUR!

WHAT A LOVELY POSITION TO BE IN!

And why not! The born-again Asian Tour, the premier professional golf tour for the Asian Continent is humming along very nicely indeed. Almost half a year in its new season is done and dusted and one can’t deny that the showcase for Asian professional golf is in a nice place. Its members are feeling good because there is a good schedule of tournament play and prize monies are up.

Against a backdrop of general economic downturns, rising costs and inﬂation coupled with a whole stack of negatives, it is a welcome change to know that golf is on the up and up. Golf is truly in a nice place and the only problem that golf equipment manufacturers currently face is their ability to get enough product out fast enough. We kid you not! How good is the global market for golf in the world today? Perhaps the best answer and what has come as music to our ears is that from the President and CEO of TaylorMade Golf David Abeles.

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Mike Sebastian

INTERNATIONAL ROVING EDITOR

Alan Campbell (China/Middle East)

Editor/Chief Executive Ofﬁcer [mike@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

Correspondent

GLOBAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL

Angela Raymond

President [angela@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

Gregg Patterson

President, Tribal Magic Inc.

Andrew Wood Founder/President, Legendary Marketing

James Cronk

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Executive Creative Art Director [raquel@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

President, Cronk Group

IT Consultant Tech-Know Integrators

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INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

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Alice Ho

Email: alice@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com

ASIAN GOLF www.asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com Tel: +65 Company Registration No.: 201405689G

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of Asian Golf may be reproduced in any other publications, printed or published without the written permission of the publisher. Opinions in Asian Golf are the writers’ and are not necessarily endorsed by Asian Golf. Asian Golf accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies or other materials. Manuscripts, photographs and artwork will not be returned unless accompanied by appropriate postage.

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SHARED THOUGHTS

FROM THE PUBLISHER

SHARED THOUGHTS | FROM THE PUBLISHER

eading the thrust forward is Mike Sebastian,

for over two years and APGS 2022 is perfectly poised to get

owner and producer of APGS 2022.

the industry’s engine ﬁring again on all cylinders.”

“We have been on the ready to stage this

The ﬁnal dates for the staging of APGS 2022 will be

annual event in 2020 and 2021 but for reasons

announced within the next few weeks together with the

already known to the industry, we had to jam

venue.

our foot on the brakes and to halt the show indeﬁnitely,”

The focus of APGS 2022 will be on new

Sebastian explained. “But that is all on the back-burner

management, business and agronomy trends in a post

now and we are gradually shifting our motor into top gear

pandemic environment.

and getting primed and ready to blast off to stage a fantas-

“All golf course owners, operators and general managers should make it a point to

tic event!” he added. APGS 2022 has been conﬁrmed to be staged in

attend APGS 2022 as it will help bring everyone

Vietnam which is now proving to be the most dynamic

up to speed on how to help pick up the pieces

growth market for golf in the world. “There’s a whole bunch

and get back on the growth path.”

of golf courses that are in various stages of construction

“In conjunction with APGS 2022, we will be

and development in that country and this sets a very

staging the 2021/2022 Asian Golf Awards which

positive mood for the golf industry,” Sebastian explained.

also suffered the same fate of cancellation due

“We need a super positive setting to help pick up our

to the pandemic,” added Sebastian.

industry which has been delivered nothing but body blows

We need a super positive setting to help pick up our industry which has been delivered nothing but body blows for over two years and APGS 2022 is perfectly poised to get the industry’s – MIKE SEBASTIAN engine ﬁring again on all cylinders.

VISIT WWW.GOLFCITIZEN.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR MOBILE APP TO GET STARTED

www.golfcitizen.com

COVER STORY

LIV GOLF

COVER STORY | LIV GOLF

he year was 2019 and the European Tour (now renamed as the DP World Tour) proudly announced the launch of the Saudi International, the first European Tour event to be played in Saudi Arabia and one of six European Tour events staged in the countries on the Arabian Peninsula. This announcement drew criticism due to the involvement of Saudi Arabia’s government in the event, based on their record of human rights within the country and the fact that it also involved paying large appearance fees to some of the world’s top players. Tiger Woods reportedly turned down a US$3.2 million-plus offer, but fellow big-names Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Ian Poulter all opted to play the event instead of the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, which was happening during the same week. However, all the flack that was flung at this tournament did in no way deter the CEO of the European Tour, Keith Pelley to back down. Instead, Pelley spoke optimistically and declared: “It was the right decision for our tour … we will be back in Saudi, and we’ll continue to grow that event. We believe our role will help the evolution of the country.” The tournament ceased to be a European Tour event after the 2021 edition, and later that year it was announced that as a result, the PGA Tour would not allow its members to compete in future editions, with the European Tour following suit. What happened? What a disappointment! Why the sudden change of tone by Pelley who was waxing lyrical about the tournament and had the full support of his partner from across the Atlantic, the strongman of the PGA Tour, Jay Monahan? Well, the sudden turn-around and the collapse of the romance on the rocks, is common knowledge by now. The break was due to an ambitious move by Saudi Arabia to launch its own mega tour, the proposed Super Golf League (SGL) to be piloted by former world number one Greg Norman under the auspices of a well-funded new organisation called LIV Golf Investments. The driving force behind the Norman-led company is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a massive sovereign wealth fund said to be worth more than US$500 billion. With a reported war chest of more than US$2 billion, since upped to US$4 billion, there was talk of life-changing fees being offered to most of the bigname stars who ply their game on the PGA Tour. This struck a sore chord with Monahan who reacted by issuing a stern warning that players who jump ship would face the threat of possible suspensions and even lifetime bans from playing on the PGA Tour. Pelley echoed the same warning to his players on the European Tour.

COVER STORY | LIV GOLF

hile it is certain that LIV Golf’s detrac-

GREG NORMAN:

tors will continue to indulge in mud-

Free agency is ﬁnally coming to golf. And the best is yet to

slinging and name calling mixed in with

come! There isn’t a better time to be a professional golfer.

tougher measures to fence in and deter

But candidly, there hasn’t ever been a better time to be a fan.

their members from jumping ship, the

If you look at it from my perspective during my playing

new tour has set course to become a truly innovative global

days, I felt the Tours were curtailing our ability to compete

tour regardless of how drastic conditions become. This

as we wanted. That is why I tell these young guys that I have

speaks well to the overall structure of LIV Golf in terms of its

been ﬁghting for player rights for almost 40 years. That’s the

crack management team and its ﬁnanciers who are not the

crux of all of this. I wanted to play as far and wide, without

sort to walk away from a ﬁght.

constraints to capitalize on the opportunity, but also to better

Much has been written and said about the entry of this new player – mostly vehemently critical and biased. Against

support the game’s global appeal. It is the same today, there are too many onerous regula-

this backdrop, ASIAN GOLF’s Publisher, Mike Sebastian

tions on the players that stiﬂe free

reached out to LIV Golf for a discussion with Greg Norman

agency. You just have to look at

who graciously obliged to take our questions. In a no-holds-

other sports and how it has trans-

barred session, Norman took every question that ASIAN

formed them into mainstream

GOLF shot his way, and the following is the complete inter-

giants. Golf is lagging behind and

view with the man leading the world’s “richest professional golf tour”.

ASIAN GOLF: It’s been quite a battle to overcome resistance to your LIV Golf initiative. In a few days, the world will be witness to the birth of what would arguably become a players’ tour with their interests at the top of the list of priorities. This must come as a very gratifying outcome to you especially since you have fought decades long for this. Can you speak to this?

for once it has a very real chance to ﬂip the stakes in the

mission. We reached out on April 17th, 2021, to request

player’s favour. This is what LIV is here to do, as we believe

some face time to share how the proposition would enhance

this drives massive new value back to fans, into the sport

the ecosystem and where we had structured a direct beneﬁt

and to ALL stakeholders.

to the PGA Tour and its members. We did the same with the DP World Tour. The fact they have formulated opinion,

ASIAN GOLF: It is difﬁcult to fathom the hostility shown towards LIV Golf by the parties concerned together with that of a very partisan and hostile media. You most certainly were aware of the resistance, but did you envisage this level of bitterness from golf’s bureaucracies? NORMAN:

without meeting or entertaining any form of dialogue, says it all really. We are focussed on adding new value to the ecosystem. We recognize and wholly respect the value and heritage of the current ecosystem and are mindful of how we best integrate. From Season 3 onwards, we will only be 14 events total per season. The airtime for the PGA Tour and others to continue doing their thing will not be interrupted. We actively

LIV is not an aggressive takeover bid of professional golf.

encourage players to compete as much as possible, on as many tours as they are eligible, because we see it as good

The PGA Tour has never sat with us. If they had, they would understand that is not the root of our

for the game. The experiences we have had with the media faceto-face have been mostly positive. When they understand our commitment to creating player opportunities and open competition, with this attractive team narrative addition, they are fully engaged. There is a rhetoric some outlets want to push, but we are focussed on long-term success and delivering the opportunity, which is founded on bringing new value and opportunity to golf and treating it as a sport with a future, not just as a game from the past.

COVER STORY | LIV GOLF

ASIAN GOLF: Anyway, the important fact to note is that your programme is up and running and it is generating a great deal of interests on the part of players and the global community of fans. From this perspective alone, LIV Golf is already a serious player on the global stage of professional golf and it’s here to stay! Agree? NORMAN:

will eventually break out and support LIV Golf. What are your thoughts on this? NORMAN: The players are independent contractors and should not be exposed to any threats of any kind when making their living. Especially when it comes from a monopolist. Because of the 501c6 regulation, the PGA Tour must act ‘…in the common interests of tournament professional golfers.’ I don’t see how anyone can justify this attempted blockade as being in anyone’s best interests. It doesn’t work

LIV Golf is here to stay.

in other industries and sure as hell

We are already turning our attention to season three and beyond. We have a committed investor that is not only passionate about the game but is connected to how LIV can support local communities and global charities. We have invested US$300m into the Asian Tour and The International Series. Asia Paciﬁc is a sleeping giant for golf and our focus is to make sure we spread access to these opportunities as broadly as we can. When you look at the Middle East and the Asia Paciﬁc, it accounts for some 45%+ of the world’s golfers, but also has 65%+ of the game’s new course developments. Where we are right now is a product of the quality and depth of the model. When you look under the hood, it is clear that the vision and

hasn’t worked in other sports.

Golf has a multigenerational opportunity and I have been granted that responsibility to steward the investment to deliver the outcome. I have never been more energised and more focussed for anything in my career. We are watching golf emerge into the modern era and it is doing it in a big way.

mission have been developed with only the sport’s long-term health in mind.

ASIAN GOLF: The original focus was to develop tournaments involving top ranked professionals who have since been side-lined with threats of suspensions and life-time bans. Once again, these harsh decisions are hard to justify especially when the players are professionals and to be deprived of the opportunity to add to their income is deplorable to say the least. Many observers feel that the player blockade is a temporary phenomenon and that top ranked stars

Our collective view is that the regulations of the Tours are not necessary for their continued operations. There is no need for exclusivity on media rights. When the players play, they should grant their NIL rights for promotions, but not on an exclusive basis. The broadcasters are tied into non-competes as well, which suffocates any notion of a new actor entering the industry. Any time any sector puts up these barriers to entry, the stakeholders suffer. And in this instance, the players and the fans, suffer the most. The players are emboldened right now and recognise the opportunity that is at the doorstep.

ASIAN GOLF:

Let’s be real about professional golfers – they are independent contractors who play to win and feed themselves. It’s not about loyalty or honour being uppermost in their minds – they will go where the money is and without sounding mercenary, LIV Golf’s series is the richest tour on the Planet. That said, as your tour progresses, warnings and sanctions are going to be scoffed at by professionals and they will make their way to LIV Golf. Makes sense? NORMAN: Golfers in my view are some of the most undervalued athletes on the planet.

COVER STORY | LIV GOLF

The beauty of free agency is the choice it unlocks. The players can choose how they want to make a living and we are giving them the freedom to compete where they want to and compensating them accordingly. It is a one of the most taxing sports to master and these

NORMAN:

topﬂight sportsmen and women, having reached the pinnacle

These guys are incredible athletes. Just look at players like

should only focus on their on-course performance. The

Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy and

beauty of free agency is the choice it unlocks. The players

Dustin Johnson. The way they approach playing the game

can choose how they want to make a living and we are giving

continues to get better. Training, conditioning, biomechanics

them the freedom to compete where they want to and com-

are all pushing the boundaries of how we see the sport. But

pensating them accordingly.

with that comes greater wear and tear. More strain on your

From my perspective, heritage in the game is one of its most redeeming features. The history books are important in

body to compete at the highest level. Players are pass through entities. When you look at

any sport, but extra special in golf given how ancient a sport

it through the lens of an entire career, you realise that the

it has been. But we are not here to interfere with that. We are

timespan on competing at the top level continues to shrink.

here to add something new that over time will create its own

That is something full contact sports wrestle with and

legacy.

something we are tuned into. We are also tuned into how

ASIAN GOLF: Related to this is the limited reign at the top for leading players. Gone are the days when a handful of players dominated for lengthy periods of time – today, the young jocks are pushing hard and their burning desire to get to the top in a hurry manifest itself every week on tour. With this as background, there seems to be a never-ending supply of young top guns waiting to shoot for the stars, and this creates a wonderful setting for LIV Golf to be that vehicle to provide these youngsters with a chance to go for glory. This is a perfect setting to create excitement for the fans and a duelling platform for regular shoot outs. LIV Golf is poised to provide this thrilling setting for golf’s immediate future! Your thoughts?

our platform will support mental health and wellbeing. The individualistic nature of the sport can elevate the grind. LIV’s team component will give some players an additional outlet. We see it as being quite a valuable asset in bringing a team spirit to the sport, as well as individual focus. Some players will play better on the LIV platform than others because of the atmosphere we are looking to create. For some of the highest proﬁle players there is a chance to be a team owner, where their franchise value outlasts their playing days. Just look at the stars you see vested in Formula 1. Watching the pit lane, there are still active drivers in attendance, working with teams, with the rights holder. We are looking to create new ways of extending the players career lifespan but doing it in a fashion that is sustainable and delivers value for fans.

COVER STORY | LIV GOLF

We are focussed on adding new value to the ecosystem. We recognize and wholly respect the value and heritage of the current ecosystem and are mindful of how we best integrate. From Season 3 onwards, we will only be 14 events total per season. The airtime for the PGA Tour and others to continue doing their thing will not be interrupted. We actively encourage players to compete as much as possible, on as many tours as they are eligible, because we see it as good for the game. ASIAN GOLF: There is young talent bubbling across the globe and the Asia Pacific is a cauldron of hot talent waiting to make the charge to the top. Through the Asian Tour, do you see some of the region’s best young talent finding spots on the LIV Golf tour? NORMAN: LIV Golf will accelerate the Asia Pacific Continent’s progress in seeing more and more top talent perform at the highest level. Just look at the young 15-year-old Thai player Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat - he has shown he has the maturity and discipline to compete with the pros. Look at how Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama advanced from winning the Asia Pacific Amateur to Masters Champ. Billy Payne himself couldn’t have scripted it any better, from when he first put plans in motion of creating a focus on Asia. Billy has been a north star in helping to share our focus in truly globalising the sport. I have always loved my time competing in Asia Pacific

This has been part of our thinking since the outset, and we have already made progress. We want to be the greatest champion for equality. LIV is tailor made for the women’s sport. Saudi Arabia is making major strides in creating widespread access for women and golf. The Saudi Ladies International has a strapline, ‘Ladies First’ and is dedicated to highlighting amazing stories from women in the Kingdom. Their Ladies First Club issued 2,000 free memberships to Saudi women, where they have access to all golf clubs, free lessons, merchandise. The movement in golf is alive and making great progress.

ASIAN GOLF: Shifting gears, do you see some sort of rapprochement between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to ultimately come to some understanding to create a global playing platform that will meet the objectives of both parties or is this plain utopian thinking? NORMAN:

and can’t wait to follow the journeys of some of tomorrow’s

I see no reason why all parties shouldn’t come together to

superstars.

discuss how the macro-opportunity is best served. It has

ASIAN GOLF: The focus is currently strictly on men. Do you have any plans to start a series for women? This would be a huge hit in the Asia Paciﬁc given the growing talent pool in Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Philippines, South Korea and Japan. This would also dovetail with Saudi Arabia’s desire to open up the game for women in the Middle East and North African geography. Does this ﬁt in with the greater scheme of things that you have in mind? NORMAN: One hundred recent!

certainly been attempted by emissaries from the highestranking stakeholders and some of the game’s great players – past and present. As I said, we had structured a plan of how we best envisaged coming together, with healthy and respectful competition in mind. We have not met. They don’t know. They might have managed to get their hands on some of our documents, but they don’t know. It might be utopian right now, but things change. People change. Management philosophies change. We will be ready to sit, to discuss what is in the best interests of the sport, the players, fans and stakeholders. But right now, we are focussed on delivering the product and are not getting distracted by actions of others.

COVER STORY | LIV GOLF

People change. Management philosophies change. We will be ready to sit, to discuss what is in the best interests of the sport, the players, fans and stakeholders. But right now, we are focussed on delivering the product and are not getting distracted by actions of others. ASIAN GOLF: What’s the status with regards to OWGR points? Given the constraints imposed by that organization toward obtaining world ranking points, do you feel that there is an easier course for you to take to obtain the recognition? NORMAN: OWGR was set up as an independent body to ensure events that warrant recognition have status. If the best players compete, then we see no blockade as to why LIV events are not granted points. As of now, we have something like 90% of our ﬁeld for London, from the top 150 in the world.

ASIAN GOLF: Whatever is said and done, LIV Golf’s programme is on the launch pad, and it is ready to blast off. It’s launch phase may not be as what was originally envisaged, but it is nevertheless a series that will draw global attention. Do you see further opposition to your series, and do you rule out the battle being dragged to the courts? NORMAN:

It’s time to go golf!

ASIAN GOLF: You were not given the moniker “Great White Shark” for nothing – you are a world champion, a successful entrepreneur and a golf visionary imbued with a ﬁghting spirit second to none. You plan to win and with strong partners in your corner, would it be correct to conclude that the world is seeing The Disruptor Extraordinaire in action with only great things to come! NORMAN: Positively disrupt – yes. Destruct – no. Golf has a multi-generational opportunity and I have been granted that responsibility to steward the investment to deliver the outcome. I have never been more energised and more focussed for anything in my career. We are watching golf emerge into the modern era and it is doing it in a big way. I have learned many things through my career. I loved playing aggressive golf. But I also learned when and how to attack. I loved the competition. The challenge. All we deal with today has been a subject matter that has been part of

We are a start-up and one thing I know about start-ups is

my whole career. Go right back to my days playing against

they never follow a straight line. We are in our launch phase,

Seve (Ballesteros), we both wanted to have more freedom

focussed on delivery, and laser-focussed on the long-term.

to compete around the world. We never had the backing

We will see things, feel things and listen to feedback that will

to really take the stand we knew so many players wanted

allow us to adapt and progress. That is the beauty of LIV Golf

to take. It was snatched at the 11th hour in 1994. But it

- being ﬂexible to innovate.

was an amazing learning curve. We now have the backing,

We certainly have no intention of going anywhere near the courts. Candidly it is wasted energy and we want to focus on our product and the beneﬁts we are committed to deliver-

expertise, full force of a team of world class experts. This is a 30-year outlook. LIV will be here long after I am not! Well, we have heard it straight from the mouth of the

ing to the sport. We certainly don’t believe the Tour has any

legendary Great White Shark. ASIAN GOLF always believed

intention of getting near the courtroom given the potential im-

that this new Tour would happen albeit without some of the

plications it carries for them, but it is their threats to players

game’s big stars in the beginning, but it will still roll out.

that may see the players themselves take the lead in clearing

So, strap your seatbelts and get ready for blast-off of what

out the attempts to preclude and restrain their trade.

promises to be an exciting future for global golf!

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SPECIAL FEATURE

BRAND AMBASSADORS

FEATURE STORY | BRAND AMBASSADORS

Just in case you are wondering what we are referring to, please bear with us as we work towards unravelling some interesting details about the game of golf. It was not too long ago when golf courses were facing closures as national golf associations were reporting sharp declines in rounds played and golf equipment sales were tanking. It was a dismal period in golf but that abysmal state of affairs has since swung around and things are beginning to really look up for golf. Against a backdrop of general economic downturns, rising costs and inﬂation coupled with a whole stack of negatives, it is a welcome change to know that golf is on the up and up.

FEATURE STORY | BRAND AMBASSADORS

olf is truly in a nice place and the only problem that golf equipment manufacturers currently face is their inability to get enough product out fast enough. We kid you not! In our conversations with many manufacturers, the one common issue that keeps cropping up is the

shortage of components and a inability on the part of the supply chain to get things cranked up to satisfy a growing consumer demand. How good is the global market for golf in the world today? Perhaps the best answer and what has come as music to our ears is that from the President and CEO of TaylorMade Golf David Abeles. In an interview with ASIAN GOLF, Abeles revealed, “We have six million more golfers around the world playing the game today than we did two years ago and not just participants, but also the participation rates of those playing. This includes women and juniors, which is a wonderful component and added growth in our industry.” There is no better superlative to describe this meteoric upward trend than the exclamation “WOW!” “We believe it will create a lifetime opportunity for golf. So, as excited as we are about where we are today, we’re even more excited about where golf is going to go in the future for all of us,” declared Abeles. This man, who basically turned TaylorMade Golf around from a depressed state a few years ago into the powerhouse that it is today, is the consummate optimist and when he looks at you with his piercing eyes and engaging smile, you better believe him! “We have formed coalitions and invested in growth initiatives to bring more and more players into the game around the world and couldn’t be more thrilled with where the industry is and more excited about where TaylorMade is going to go in the future,” according to Abeles. This optimistic outlook for the future of golf came about in a discussion on the value that golf brand ambassadors bring to the table. Taylormade Golf has about the most impressive list of the world’s best golfers, including the grand daddy of them all Tiger Woods in its stable of brand ambassadors. What Abeles had to say was fascinating as it helped dispel the often-held impression that brand ambassadors are just gloriﬁed paid sales staff to help promote products. Well, that is true but let us not overlook the fact that when the world’s best players serve as a company’s brand ambassadors, they do a lot more than being just the “face” of a brand. ASIAN GOLF’s discussion with Abeles provides a great insight as to how brand ambassadors integrate themselves into a company’s work dynamics and culture and the vital role they perform in the evolution of new products. We are proud to present excerpts which we believe will help our readers have a better understanding on brand ambassadors and their impact on the products that ultimately ﬁnd their way into the hands of millions of golfers the world over:

What I personally enjoy the most about this aspect of all of our athletes is that they are deeply interested and invested in helping us with amateur play. If you listen closely to Tiger or Rory or Collin when we test products with them, they not only mention how it will help their own game, but also that it will help amateur golfers around the world to a greater extent than it beneﬁts themselves. ASIAN GOLF: TaylorMade Golf arguably has the most powerful selection of professional golfers in its stable as brand ambassadors? This is quite an achievement – agree? DAVID ABELES: Our players are endeared to our TaylorMade brand. Many of them have been with us for decades like Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy since 2017, Tiger Woods the last ﬁve years, etc. We work so closely with our athletes that they actually love being with our products, being part of our company and our corporate culture. The best players in the world play our products at all times because they choose to. That’s a testament to the great work our product creation and R&D teams do to continuously push the boundaries of technological innovation.

FEATURE STORY | BRAND AMBASSADORS

ASIAN GOLF: What is the rationale behind having so many top brand ambassadors representing a universe of stars and a mix of up-and-coming young stars? ABELES: The equipment that the best players in the world are playing has an undeniable impact on the purchase habits of the everyday golfer. Golf is an aspiration-based sport in the sense that there is an intrinsic link between the products that the best players in the world think are going to help them win and what our consumers believe will help them play better. The construction of our Team TaylorMade athletes helps carry our marketing messaging in modern day media that we historically couldn’t do in the past. Our athletes – whether it’s Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy or Dustin Johnson for example – have large audiences that follow the things they say and do very intently. We believe that our roster of athletes can make a major impact on promoting our products through their own followings, as well as the strong presence our brand commands through various platforms and channels in the digital and social ecosystems.

ASIAN GOLF: What beneﬁts do brand ambassadors provide aside from the bragging rights that come with having them on your side? ABELES: Our tour athletes not only validate and help market our in-line products, but they also provide insights into what is coming in the future. When we enter the testing phases of new technologies and innovations that are set to come to market down the line, we test those technologies with the world’s best players. That’s an important factor in our R&D efforts for any product we are exploring to bring to market. Tiger Woods has been very involved in advanced technology for TaylorMade, for example. From the outset of our relationship with Tiger, he has been willing to not only test products, but invest his time in getting a deeper understanding of the how’s and why’s of the product. However, what I personally enjoy the most about this aspect of all of our athletes is that they are deeply interested and invested in helping us with amateur play. If you listen closely to Tiger or Rory or Collin when we test products with them, they not only mention how it will help their own game, but also that it will help amateur golfers around the world to a greater extent than it beneﬁts themselves.

ASIAN GOLF: Brand ambassadors besides their star power surely provide your product development team with a lot of feedback. Can you speak to this especially as it relates to how this feedback impacts product development?

ABELES: The athletes on Team TaylorMade are not only an extension of our corporate culture and environment, but we also view them as an additional arm in our R&D arsenal due to their investment in sharing their insights about our products to golfers across the globe. The phrase “Team TaylorMade” is meant to be taken literally. We chose every single one of our athletes, and they chose TaylorMade, for that exact reason – to be part of our team. As a contracted athlete, they are embedded into the cultural fabric of our company and match perfectly with the cultural factors that make our company tick. That is perhaps the thing that excites me most about our company and what makes us who we are. This has impacted the design and features of various products we have brought to our consumers whether it is Tiger’s custom designed P·7TW irons or Milled Grind 3 TW wedges or our TP5/TP5x pix golf ball franchise co-developed by Rickie Fowler. Every single one of our athletes has a direct impact on the design and innovation of our products whether it’s through being an integral part of the design process or through feedback in testing sessions of our products.

ASIAN GOLF: Top professionals invariably have very nuanced specifications and when viewed together, the tweaks and refinements to a club can be quite overwhelming. Against this backdrop, give us a sense of how your team goes about customising clubs for the professionals? ABELES: We have the best team of club builders, fitters and R&D specialists on Tour that work tirelessly with our athletes in a one-on-one environment built off of the shared passion for building equipment that will yield the best possible results week in and week out. This primarily comes from the relationships our Tour team has built with our players, which in some cases goes back years and even decades into their junior golf days. Our sports marketing department has put in countless hours to earn the trust of every single one of our athletes on tours across the globe and that in turn allows us to build each player’s set up in the ways that tailor exactly to what they are looking for in the performance of each club in the bag. One of the most recent examples of this was last year at The Open Championship when Collin Morikawa worked with our reps to identify the differences in turf interaction on links courses vs. courses Collin plays back in the US on the PGA TOUR. Through intense work on the driving range leading up to The Open, our

FEATURE STORY | BRAND AMBASSADORS

team built the combo set of our P·series irons that ultimately led to Collin lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday. Whatever our athletes need and whenever they need it, our team is there for them and that allows us to see the results on the course that Team TaylorMade has seen in recent years and in present day with three players in the Top 10, including World No. 1 Scottie Schefﬂer. Scottie’s decision to join our team was extremely impacted by the relationship he has built with our tour team and his unwavering trust in our operation and the performance of our equipment.

ASIAN GOLF: To use a motor racing analogy, the clubs that you ﬁnally place in the hands of your brand ambassadors would be considered the thoroughbreds as opposed to what the average club golfer would play with considering the customisation that goes into the brand ambassadors’ clubs. Would this be a correct assumption? ABELES: The equipment that our tour professionals play is the exact same equipment that we offer to the everyday golfer. While there certainly is advanced customization to the clubs that ends up going into play on professional tours, our consumers are playing the same exact product that Tiger, Rory, DJ, Collin, etc. are playing when they tee it up. Additionally, we have invested heavily in creating an ecosystem that allows our consumers to get as close to the tour treatment as possible. Whether that is through our market-leading ﬁtting resources, customization options, or our recent launch of the MyTaylorMade+ app, the same resources that exist on tour are being made available to our consumers. The more we allow the everyday golfer to learn from us about both the advanced work that goes into a tour pro’s set up, as well as how they can take advantage of those resources will allow those levels of customization to be mirrored on tour and on golf courses throughout the world.

ASIAN GOLF: The golf clubs of today are without doubt the products of very advanced research and development. That said, would you say that today’s golf clubs are the best and most user-friendly clubs to date to play with for the average club golfer? ABELES: Every golf club we design, build and bring to market is made with the golfer in mind. We have rigorous testing procedures with players of every skill level to ensure that the ﬁnal product delivers performance gains for amateurs and professionals alike. With that said, there are targeted products that appeal to highly skilled players. For example,

We have the best team of club builders, fitters and R&D specialists on Tour that work tirelessly with our athletes in a one-on-one environment built off of the shared passion for building equipment that will yield the best possible results week in and week out. This primarily comes from the relationships our Tour team has built with our players, which in some cases goes back years and even decades into their junior golf days. Our sports marketing department has put in countless hours to earn the trust of every single one of our athletes on tours across the globe and that in turn allows us to build each player’s set up in the ways that tailor exactly to what they are looking for in the performance of each club in the bag. P·7MB, P·7MC and P·7TW irons are engineered to meet the demands of the world’s best ball strikers. Yet, when you consider the full family of P·Series irons with P·770 and P·790, we cast a wide net. We have players from tour to 20-handicaps who play P·Series, and we’re proud of the fact that across all categories we offer products for golfers at every level of the game. Well then – it is confirmed! Brand ambassadors are worth their weight in gold. The contributions that they make to the development process of golf equipment is huge and when a manufacturer has players of the calibre of Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa feeding the process with their expert input, expect only the best!

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GOLF EQUIPMENT

WILSON GOLF

GOLF EQUIPMENT | WILSON GOLF

When a brand has been around for more than a century, 108 years to be speciﬁc and with more Majors won than any other brand in the world, it has to be conceded that it has the right pedigree and the knowledge to keep dishing out products of the highest quality. This about sums up the impressive track record of Wilson Golf. Some of the great names in golf who have been associated with the brand include legends like Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo and Vijay Singh. Current players who play Wilson include Open and USPGA champion Padraig Harrington, Kevin Streelman and the 2019 US Open Champion, Gary Woodland. Well into its second century, Wilson keeps on challenging the world’s fairways with vigour and vitality that matches the Energizer Bunny!

GOLF EQUIPMENT | WILSON GOLF

he incredible staying power of Wilson yet again manifests itself in its latest golf ball – the brandnew TRIAD. It’s a ball destined for the big league, and it draws from a rich heritage that dates back to 1954 when Wilson developed and sold the

Wilson Staff golf ball, the ﬁrst ball that emphasized power. In keeping with that legacy, the new Triad is a three-piece,

urethane-covered golf ball that has been designed for the modern athletic golfer. Built with exclusive T3 Technology, Triad combines high MOI design, an ultra-thin urethane cover and patented Tri-Balanced™ construction to provide total performance from tee to green. “Wilson Golf has strong heritage in building premier products for golfers at all levels and we believe that this innovative golf ball is purpose-built for a growing community of competitive players who want to take their game to the next level,” said Tim Clarke, General Manager, Wilson Golf. “The competitive golfer striving to break 80 is who Wilson Labs had in mind while engineering the T3 Technology of Triad, allowing for pinpoint accuracy from anywhere on the course.” To see how well the Triad stood up against a test featuring other brands, the new offering from Wilson came up with top scores. Against competitive testing with three-piece urethane

golf balls, Triad proved to be the fastest off the tee and the highest spinning off a wedge. Its unique construction delivers long and stable ﬂight that helps golfers ﬁnd more fairways, allows for higher iron and wedge spin to attack more pins, and has the uniform density for pure roll to sink more putts. Some of the key performance features of the Triad include: z High MOI-Design - to achieve a higher moment of inertia, weight was moved from the core to the mantle and cover – a philosophy long used in club design to improve

Wilson Golf has strong heritage in building premier products for golfers at all levels and we believe that this innovative golf ball is purposebuilt for a growing community of competitive players who want to take their game to the – TIM CLARKE, GENERAL MANAGER, WILSON GOLF next level.

torsional stability – was brought into ball design for the ﬁrst time. The result is a ball that spins less when fully compressed off a driver, making for

construction effectively removes any concern of manufactur-

straighter ﬂight bound for more fairways.

ing inconsistencies such as off-centre cores commonly found

z Ultra-Thin Urethane Cover - the ultra-thin cast urethane

in other multi-layer golf balls. Wilson density balanced all

cover engages longer with the clubface on short irons and

three layers to deliver uniformity from layer to layer, ensur-

wedges, generating controlled ball ﬂight and greater spin to

ing perfect balance and pure roll.

attack pins with conﬁdence. z Tri-Balanced™ Construction - the patented, tri-balanced

The Triad is now available at all leading stores and given its performance, this new ball is value for money!

SPECIAL FEATURE

GOLF TOURISM

SPECIAL FEATURE | GOLF TOURISM

One sector of the golf industry that took quite a beating during the global pandemic was golf tourism. Some regions of the world took a hammering and Asia was not spared in this beat down. After more than two years of a seemingly never-ending downward spiral, tourism is beginning to show signs of a pick-up. This is seen as a welcome relief to golf clubs throughout Asia in general and Southeast Asia in particular which is the hub of golf tourism for the region.

SPECIAL FEATURE | GOLF TOURISM

ccording to the International Air Transport

Tour operators like Golfasian got hit hard as 100% of our

Association (IATA), the total number of air pas-

business is international travel, which was all but shut down

sengers in the world will reach the four-billion

for the better part of two years.

mark in 2024, exceeding the 2019 pre-Covid level by three per cent.

In 2021, IATA records show that the overall traveller

numbers were 47 per cent of the pre-COVID level. “This is expected to improve to 83 per cent in 2022, 94 per cent in 2023, 103 per cent in 2024 and 111 per cent in 2025,” IATA revealed. IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh reckons the trajectory for the recovery in passenger numbers from COVID-19

ASIAN GOLF: With the industry preparing for a return of golf tourism, what sort of a recovery do you envisage? Do you see a quick recovery or a gradual recovery and if the latter is the case, how long do you reckon that it will take to get back to prepandemic days? SIEGEL:

was not changed by the Omicron variant. “People want to

The recovery is already in full swing as golfers race back to

travel. And when travel restrictions are lifted, they return to

Asia for their annual golf trips. By this year’s end, Thailand

the skies,” he noted.

golf travel will be back to normal and other countries will do

There is still a long way to go to reach a normal state of affairs, but the forecast for the evolution in passenger numbers gives good reason to be optimistic,” Walsh stated. Given the optimistic outlook for global tourism, ASIAN GOLF reached out to the guru of golf tourism, Mark Siegel for his thoughts on how the trade is ramping up. The following are excerpts from that discussion:

ASIAN GOLF: Looking back on the past two and a half years, how would you assess the damage done to the golf tourism industry in Thailand which arguably is the favourite destination for golfers in Asia? MARK SIEGEL: The golf courses weathered the storm with domestic golfers staying home, playing more golf than ever, and new golfers picking up the sport. The hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions got decimated and are rebuilding now.

the same in 2023.

ASIAN GOLF: How well prepared are the golf courses in Thailand to get golf tourism going again? In this connection, do you see heavy price gouging and discounts to draw back golfers? SIEGEL: The golf courses are well-positioned to welcome golf tourists back. Some currently offer discounts for the coming season, while others keep the green fees at pre-pandemic levels.

ASIAN GOLF: While Thailand may be ready to roll out the red carpet for golf tourism, do you reckon golfers in the key target markets are ready to travel and do you think that travel conditions, especially with regards to airfares are conducive to the industry bouncing back?

SIEGEL:

The National Golf Federation (NGF) recently surveyed

Golfers who travel now spend a more signiﬁcant portion of

golf travellers and resort operators to gauge what lies

their holiday budgets on airfares, especially last-minute

ahead. In both cases, there’s evidence that the so-called

bookings. Domestic fares in our source markets like Aus-

“revenge travel” sentiment is, in fact, a real thing. Roughly

tralia, Europe, and the Americas are expensive too, so the

80% of core golfers suggest they have plans to take a golf-

relative costs for a golf trip in Asia are still low.

speciﬁc trip in 2022, up from two-thirds a year ago. Data

ASIAN GOLF: Is there a national strategy in Thailand to promote golf tourism to get it onto a fast-track recovery path and if so, talk to the details of this strategy? SIEGEL:

from U.S. golf resorts validates this ﬁnding – 75 facilities reported to NGF that advanced bookings are up, on average, about 12% over the same period last year and almost 20% over pre-pandemic. There are other positive signals, too, including the online search popularity index for ‘golf travel bags’, which

There has been and continues to be an emphasis on quality

sits about 30 points higher today compared to 2018 and 2019

tourism, with golf travel in this category. Golf tournaments

(based on 4-week rolling averages). Whichever way you look

both professional and amateur are well-supported here. In

at it, demand for golf travel seems to be bubbling up.

fact, professional events carried on throughout the past two years and Thailand seems to have become a hot spot for golf professionals.

ASIAN GOLF: Looking ahead, give us your expert assessment of where you see golf tourism going in Thailand in particular and in those markets that you conduct business? SIEGEL: There remains a lot of optimism across the golf industry, particularly for golf destinations that didn’t enjoy as much of the “surge” seen elsewhere during the early days of golf’s pandemic-fuelled boom. It appears their dividend is on its way. Meanwhile, in North America which is said to be a robust US$20 billion golf tourism market, trends are beginning to look bullish in a post pandemic marketplace.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

ASIAN TOUR

SPECIAL FEATURE | ASIAN TOUR

And why not! The born-again Asian Tour, the premier professional golf tour for the Asian Continent is humming along very nicely indeed. Almost half a year of its new season is done and dusted and one can’t deny that the showcase for Asian professional golf is in a nice place. A tangible indication of the current mood of the tour can be seen by the amount of game activity that is taking place on tour – since it ended its last season and kick-started the new season, it has staged the successful two-event Asian Tour Phuket Series, and has gone on to stage eight tournaments which includes the Asia Paciﬁc Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup in Japan. In lockstep with these tournaments, the Asian Tour has also launched its International Series.

SPECIAL FEATURE | ASIAN TOUR

JOOHYUNG KIM

RATCHANON CHANTANANUWAT

ts members are feeling good because there is a

next generation. And I think we are really starting to achieve

good schedule of tournament play and prize monies

this in a big way as we witness the rise of players like South

are up. “It’s difﬁcult to think of a more successful

Korea’s Joohyung Kim, who is 19 years old, and the 15-year-

and exciting period in the history of the Asian Tour -

old Thai amateur “TK” Ratchanon. We are going to be seeing

we are only at the start of this exciting new journey;

a lot more of these two young men who will become role

we certainly began it at a position of strength while fully aware of the enormous potential for further growth that lies

models for our younger fans.” Cho was quick to point out that the Asian Tour is also

ahead,” exclaimed Cho Minn Thant, the CEO and Commis-

one of the youngest Tours in the game in terms of the age

sioner of the Asian Tour.

of its members. “So, this is a key asset for us as we try and

According to the man at the helm, “There has been an amazing energy on the Asian Tour since we re-started - the

grow the game in our region,” Cho explained. It should also be noted that the Asian Tour is serious

re-commencement of the Asian Tour comes at a time when we are witnessing incredible investment in the Tour which gives our membership even greater reasons to be enjoying the moment.” The Asian Tour is engaged in a ten-year strategic alliance with the Saudi Arabian based LIV Golf Investments through a US$300 million cash infusion. Given the positivity that’s running through the veins of the Asian Tour, it made sense to ask if there were plans afoot to expose top young stars on tour to be provided with some expert help to get them to compete at the highest level of the game – some sort of a “graduate programme” to help inspire and motivate top talent to stick with the tour and grow to their full potential. To this, Cho responded, “We will be announcing details of a programme along these lines very soon. The Asian Tour has decades of experience to draw on and we certainly intend to use this to help nurture our up-and-coming players, of which we have more and more of each season.” It is heartening to learn that one of the key focal points of the revitalised Asian Tour is a special emphasis on the region’s young golfers, of which there are many with signs of even more being drawn to the game. Reacting to this youthful revolution that is taking place, Cho said, “This is a key objective for the Asian Tour - to help inspire and encourage the

Given the positivity that’s running through the veins of the Asian Tour, it made sense to ask if there were plans afoot to expose top young stars on tour to be provided with some expert help to get them to compete at the highest level of the game – some sort of a “graduate programme” to help inspire and motivate top talent to stick with the tour and grow to their full potential.

There has been an amazing energy on the Asian Tour since we re-started - the re-commencement of the Asian Tour comes at a time when we are witnessing incredible investment in the Tour which gives our membership even greater reasons to be – CHO MINN THANT, enjoying the moment. THE CEO AND COMMISSIONER OF THE ASIAN TOUR about its commitment to young golfers, and it is considering

asked if some of its top stars will be invited to LIV Golf’s

inviting top amateurs to play in the Asian Tour’s Interna-

inaugural tournament in England in June to which Cho

tional Series. According to Cho, this would serve as an

replied, “We will have a strong presence at the LIV Golf Invi-

incredible steppingstone for youngsters. “We are already

tational at Centurion.” He went on to reveal, “The top-three

doing this. Obviously “TK” Ratchanon has been the most-

players from the cumulative International Series rankings,

high proﬁle but there will be more playing across the Tour

through Thailand and England, will gain starts; the top-two

in future - It provides them with a wonderful opportunity to

ﬁnishers in the International Series England not otherwise

learn their trade while providing fans with a great chance to

exempt will also play their way into the mega event; and

watch these amazing young golfers compete.”

the top player on the Asian Tour Order of Merit at the time,

As stated at the outset of this article, everything is coming up roses for the Asian Tour and on that note ASIAN GOLF

along with the top two players from the 2020-21 ﬁnal Order of Merit will also gain berths.”

GREG NORMAN ANNOUNCED THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SERIES ALONGSIDE CHO MINN THANT (LEFT), CEO AND COMMISSIONER OF THE ASIAN TOUR, AND JOOHYUNG KIM OF SOUTH KOREA