Asian Tour Yearbook - 2022

S uperlatives abound when describing the year 2022 for the Asian Tour when the most significant year in our history was contrasted against the worry and uncertainty of the foregoing season. However, it was at the end of 2021 that we showed our true fearless colours and were able to successfully turn the corner when we restarted after nearly two years of no play, due to COVID-19, with the two-leg Asian Tour Phuket Series – which were played under strict, mandatory government protocols. I think we can all remember the excitement and relief that accompanied those two weeks, which were followed by two more events in Singapore that allowed us to complete the 2020-2021 season, with eight tournaments. Fittingly, it was Joohyung Kim who clearly emerged as our best player over that period which has now gone down in history as the springboard to his phenomenal rise to the top of the game. The speed with which our comeback happened was incomprehensible and simply snowballed with a constant stream of positive news. In 2022 we were able to stage 20 events for just over US$25 million and offer 17 tournaments on the Asian Development Tour – a truly remarkable feat, all things considered. And we saw a 20% increase in average prize purse and an incredible 40% increase in aggregate earnings for the top-100 players on our Order or Merit compared to our last full season in 2019. We congratulate Korean American Sihwan Kim who would fend off numerous challenges and claim top spot on the Order of Merit after an incredible season which included two wins and a bunch of top 10s. But we must also commend all our members for their performances during what was an unprecedented time. The new partnerships that we have forged with LIV Golf, which has enabled us to launch the ground-breaking International Series, and Golf Saudi, the organisation behind our season-opening extravaganza the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, have given us the opportunity to grow to these new heights, but we are equally appreciative to all our partners, associations and promoters for contributing to our revival. I think it is unquestionably fair to say that professional golf in Asia has never been in a better place, and it will get even better. We are becoming an International Tour of top destinations and will continue to travel more and visit new places while retaining a solid base of principle events in our region. The Asian Tour is at the beginning of an extraordinary moment in history, enjoying a period of exponential growth –with much of the early narrative encapsulated in this Yearbook, arguably one of the most essential editions to date as it has such an important story to tell. CHO MINN THANT Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Asian Tour 3