Kuala Lumpur, – Oct. 16, 2004 – South African superstar Ernie Els has backed Asian golf to enjoy a bright future, saying the region is going to be the main market over the next 10 years.

Els has played on the Asian Tour twice this season, at the tri-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic in Bangkok in January and also at last month's Kolon Korean Open where he finished third.

The man known as the "Big Easy" is amazed with the pace of development in Asia and reckons golf will become bigger in this region once the likes of Thongchai Jaidee, Arjun Atwal and Zhang Lian-wei start winning in Europe and the United States.

"I've been playing here since 1993 and in the last 10 years, the way it's come around, it's amazing," said Els in a recent interview.

"You have a lot of (Asian) players on the US Tour now and on the European Tour as well. Some of them are competing for Major titles and it seems like the public perception of golf over here is wonderful.

"They are very excited about golf over here and the TV here has all the main tours. The knowledge about golf is growing. This (Asia) is going to be the market for the next 10, 20 years, definitely."

Els added that the playing standards on the Asian Tour have also risen and hopes that its top stars will start playing more frequently abroad to test their games. "I think the Asian players need to be exposed to a higher level. They have to learn the trade here and they have to move up. The other way is for them to get more international players to come over to Asia and see how they stack up," said Els.

"Asian players have to find a happy medium, either to get more money pumped into the Asian Tour or get the guys to come and play here. If they go out to play it might hurt the Tour. It's a bit of a balancing act. All the tours go through that, the European Tour, the South African Tour, the Australasian Tour … players want to get better and they have to get to other Tours."

He tipped current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Thongchai, who has played regularly in Europe this season, as a possible candidate to break through in the ultra-competitive US PGA Tour. Els was paired with Thongchai in the first two rounds of the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year and was outscored by the Thai star.

"He's been around and he's not so intimidated by myself or the other players any more. Thongchai is playing on the European Tour and he's the more experienced guy with a lot of talent. I like to see him trying for his US Tour card as I think he will succeed if he gets his card there and then we can really see where he can go.

"Arjun has got his card and it's always tough in the first year, but the important thing is to get a taste of it. If Thongchai can break through, it'll mean so much for himself and the Asian Tour and show to the rest of the world that the guys over can really play," said Els, who also tipped Korea's Kevin Na to be a world-beater.

"I think the players must have the belief that they can win, even the Majors. When Zhang beat me in Singapore last year, it gave the belief to the other guys that they can beat the players who are at a different level. When the ice is broken, the other guys will really start following."

Media Contact
Chuah Choo Chiang
Asian Tour
Communications Manager
T: +603 7880 3714
E: chuah@asiantour.com
www.asiantour.com