When Trevor Simsby made the winning putt at the 2020 Bandar Malaysia Open, his first thought was his world was about to change.
As it turned out, the American was right on the money.
After gaining his card on what then was called the Web.com Tour in 2015 and losing it the same year, the native of San Diego, California, has been the textbook definition of a journeyman golfer – living out of a suitcase and globetrotting in search of playing opportunities. He finally found stability in 2019, some 13,500 kilometres from home. A few top-10 finishes on the Asian Development Tour ensured he was the last of seven players to earn a spot on the 2020 Asian Tour.
On 8 March last year, the 28-year-old University of Washington alumnus outlasted the sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur’s Kota Permai Golf and Country Club and the grit of Australian veteran Andrew Dodt with two birdies in two playoff holes. The $180,000 winner’s cheque was massive; more valuable was the comfort of knowing he would have a steady playing schedule, one in which he could pick and choose events at his convenience.
Simsby says the only thing he has picked and chosen since then is what to watch on Netflix.
The Asian Tour shut down after the Malaysian Open because of COVID-19, and is yet to kick back into action.
“It has been very frustrating,†said Simsby on the eve of the WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession, his first competitive round in exactly a year. “We first thought we’d be back on the golf course by July. Then it was October. Then it was January this year. And now I don’t think we will be playing before June.
“Still, I consider myself lucky. At least I know I will be able to play whenever things get back to normal. I really feel for some of my colleagues in Asia who have been hit very hard by this.
“I have this opportunity to play in a WGC event, and I’ve got to thank the Asian Tour for the spot even though we just had a handful of tournaments in 2020.â€
Things are slowly returning to normal in the world’s most populous continent. The number of COVID -19 cases in countries like India and Malaysia have dwindled. China, South Korea, Thailand and Japan have done a remarkable job of containment. Every country has its own travel restrictions and quarantine rules, however, hampering the movement of Asian Tour players.
Diversity, whether in terms of demographics of membership or the number of countries it visits, is one of the Asian Tour’s unique selling points. A spiky, single-celled entity has turned that strength into an existential challenge.
“We came close to starting several times,†said Cho Minn Thant, chief executive officer and commissioner of the Asian Tour. “In October last year, we were looking at a couple of events in (South) Korea and a couple in India. That did not happen as government policies changed.
“The proposed Hong Kong Open and the SMBC Singapore Open in January this year was a great example of issues we face. The Singapore government said we cannot have events in January. They then gave us a go-ahead for April. However, the sponsors SMBC, whose financial year is April to March, don’t want to do two tournaments in a single financial year.
“The situation is easing now, but still most of our membership, especially the Thais and the Australians, are averse to travelling because of the strict quarantine on return.
“The ideal scenario would be four or five back-to-back tournaments, but that is very difficult to pull off even in normal situations. In most countries, the sponsors don’t like to club their events together because they feel it will steal their thunder. And obviously, a majority of our events are not broadcast live, so we do not have lucrative TV deals to sustain events on our own.â€
A big motivation for Asian players is qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. A medal from the Games is regarded much higher than any individual title by most governments and fans in Asia. Medal winners are showered with gifts, awards, use of facilities and financial security in the form of pensions, etc.
The Official World Golf Ranking is the only criterion for qualifying. There were 16 Asian players (not counting the Japanese and South Koreans who have their own tours, as well as someone like Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan, who has mostly played on the PGA Tour) in the top 300 when the tour shut down. Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond was the best-ranked Asian Tour star at 40th, and five players were inside the top 200.
“Personally speaking, I would like to play, but I know it is a sensitive situation of lives versus livelihood.â€
Shiv Kapur
As of 21 February, only eight players were in the top 300. Janewattananond, now on the European Tour, still tops the list, but has dropped to 107th.
“Personally speaking, I would like to play, but I know it is a sensitive situation of lives versus livelihood,†said three-time champion Shiv Kapur, who started 2020 ranked 281st but has slipped to 480th. “I understand that the Asian Tour does not have the financial muscle of a PGA Tour, who are also lucky to have all the events in one country.
“But the European Tour goes to different countries and they have done a fantastic job with the bubble so that their members can play. That’s something the Asian Tour has failed to do.
“It’s not just the youngsters who are struggling. There are guys on the other end of the spectrum who have few years left to play on the highest level, and they are losing valuable time.
“Look at my case. I have spoken time and again about my intense desire to be in Tokyo. I want to have a chance to add to the gold medal I won for India in the (2002) Asian Games. We might not even have a re-start before the Olympics. All I want to say is that the show must go on.â€
It’s not just players who are feeling the effects. Cho confirmed every staff member has taken a pay cut, and the tour has lost a few long-time officials who took up other opportunities. However, he insisted the tour is not in financial danger.
While Cho refused to comment, there are strong rumours the Asian Tour is close to signing a long-term partnership and sponsorship deal with the Saudi Golf Federation. It also has received financial aid from a couple of big golf organisations.
“The good thing is that this pandemic has given us a lot of time to think about the ways we deliver events, and how we can give better value to our sponsors, who, I must add, have supported us wonderfully,†Cho added.
“We have assurances from almost every sponsor that they will be on board when we restart. Without naming organisations, we have received grants to help us conduct tournaments. We are not the richest tour in the world, but we managed to save from our limited resources for this stretch of rainy days, and we will continue to use our money prudently.â€
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