About the Asian Seniors Tour
The AST based in Singapore was incorporated in 2002 and founded at a meeting between the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) members from over 20 countries that contested the inaugural ASM tournament staged in November 2003 at the Jurong Country Club in Singapore.
ASM golf tournaments are International Senior Professional tournaments for male senior professional golfers who have attained the age of 50 years are currently or have been a member of a recognized PGA.
The AST welcomes male amateur golfers who are 50 years of age or older who might wish to turn professional and qualify to join the AST and in order to do so they can either enrol and attend one of the various AST Qualifying schools that are staged both prior and during the actual ASM events.
Having passed Q School and joined the AST the successful candidates will automatically qualify and become eligible to participate in ASM events for prize money, and for golfers who may wish to retain their amateur status, they can do so by playing only for ranking points.
ASM golf tournaments are preceded by Pro-Am, and each Pro-Am accommodate up to 96 amateur golfers and 32 of the AST’s senior professional golfers, 128 golfers in total, during which sponsors / participants are able to spend quality time with and entertain their VIP guests / customers and business associates in an exclusive environment.
ASM Pro-Am events feature a maximum of 32 flights (128 participants) and each 4 ball flight comprises 3 amateur golfers and is Captained by an AST professional who will give the amateurs on course lessons and tips with their game, as the amateurs compete as both Teams and individuals for prizes and trophies.
The Pro-Ams are open to amateur golfers of both genders, and invitations are extended to the leading golf, sports and social clubs, to the various business associations, chambers of commerce and charity golf tournaments in the host country for their leading / Champion golfers to participate.
ASM tournaments are sanctioned by the AST and staged in conjunction, with the support and co-operation from the host countries PGA’s, involving up to 125 senior professional golfers, who come from all around the world, and will compete over 2 / 3 days for prize money.
A unique feature of the ASM event platform is that the top 6 / 9 best gross scoring amateur participants from each of the Pro-Ams staged qualify along with sponsor’s exemptions for places in the Amateur Finals which are staged and conducted during the 1st day of the ASM professional tournament.
Since its humble beginnings, the AST has gone on to stage annual ASM events in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, as well as establishing and staging ASM events in Thailand, and Cambodia.
This year the AST will establish and stage ASM events in Vietnam, Lao, the Philippines and Myanmar so as to ensure that ASM events are staged in all 10 of the ASEAN countries, and in addition will also establish ASM events in the UK and Sweden as well.
The AST has also helped to ensure that its members are represented and included in the professional fields at numerous other senior professional golf tournaments, most notably with the AST leading golfer being invited each year to play in the USA on the Champions Tour at the annual Insperity Invitational staged in Houston, as well as other events staged in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, Brunei, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand as well as South Africa.
Over the past few years the AST has helped to make golfing history in Asia by having been able to send the 1st senior professional golfer from Brunei in 2014, Singapore in 2015 and most recently in May 2016 Malaysia’s leading senior professional golfer to play in the USA on the Champions Tour alongside and against the world’s leading senior professional golfers such as defending and past Champions which include Jesper Parnevik 2016, Ian Woosnam 2015, Bernhard Langer 2014, Esteban Toledo 2013, as well as internationally renowned players such as Colin Montgomerie, Peter Senior, John Daly, Mark O'Meara , Fred Couples 2010 and Sandy Lyle. For more information visit www.insperityinvitational.com
The AST has gained, secured and built its solid reputation over the past 14 years as an organization in which its members, the various PGAs around the world, amateur golfers and corporate sponsors alike support and believe in by having staged well over 50 successful ASM events in and around Asia Pacific arena and in some cases further afield.
The AST has steered its way through the recent global financial crises, managing to both retaining and secure new sponsors for its ASM events, and since the AST’s inception in 2003 when the first 75 PGA members contested the inaugural ASM @ Singapore event, the AST’s full & associate membership has increased to well over 450+ members to date, who come from all over the world.
The Asian Seniors PGA Tour (ASPGAT) was formed in July 2009 at the ASM Malaysia and 99 foundation members were invited and inducted into the AST’s newly formed PGA body.
The AST is now at a stage where it needs to raise further funding to build and expand upon the AST’s successful current annual ASM event schedule.
The AST founded and established the ASEAN Seniors Tour and the 10 legged ASEAN Senior Open series, which by the end of 2017 will see ASEAN SO events staged in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
With the foundation of the ASEAN Seniors Tour the AST is confident that it will achieve its two main objectives which is to, identify and encourage some of ASEAN’s leading senior amateur golfers as well as the 1000’s of overseas based golfers from the various ASEAN member countries to join the AST,
The AST has also founded and established the Scandinavian Seniors Tour, so as to be able to cater to the amateur and senior professional golfers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Similarly by staging the planned ASM European AST Qualifier at the Stapleford Forum, in Leicestershire, this will also enable the AST to cater to the amateur and senior professional golfers from the UK and Europe fulfilling the huge demand from senior professional golfers from around the world who are currently unable to secure places in the more established Seniors Tours of the USA and Europe.
Accommodating and catering to both the amateur and professional golfers from ASEAN, the Asia pacific, Scandinavia, the UK and Europe will most certainly increase the AST’s international exposure, and will also ensure considerable growth and expansion of the AST’s travel and other related revenue streams.
To further cater to the senior golfers from around the world, in 2016 the AST has introduced 2 new age divisions to the ASM event platform which will now include the;
Seniors division - for members who have attained the age of 50 and older
Super Seniors division – for members who have attained the age of 65 and older
Veterans division – for members who have attained the age of 75 and older
In addition to staging ASM events, the AST also stage numerous corporate golfing events for our sponsors, as well as the annual Ombak Cup a multi legged amateur golfers series, staged in most of the states across Malaysia where the top 9 best gross scoring participants from each leg secure places in the 2 day grand finals where Malaysia’s and Asia’s leading amateur golfers can earn places in the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School and invitations to participate in an ASEAN Tour event offering the opportunity for aspiring amateur golfers to turn professional.
For more information contact -
Chuan Campbell
Chairman of the Asian Seniors Tour
Singapore: (+65) - 9634 6497
Malaysia: (+60) - 17 2340 688
chuan@asianseniormasters.com
www.asianseniormasters.com
chuancampbell@yahoo.com
|
