Golf: Asians put faith in new tour and new association

ASIA will get a new professional tour from next October. The Asian Professional Golfers Association, formed on Saturday in Hong Kong, will guarantee 20 events a year with prize money of up to dollars 6.2m dollars ( pounds 4.1m).

Growing bitterness at the number of non-Asians dominating the current tour was one of the reasons for what is being seen as a revolution in Asian golf. Fewer Asians competed on the tour this year than ever before and only three out of the 10 titles went to Asian golfers.

The APGA is a copy of movements formed in the United States and Europe that put control of events in the hands of golfers rather than officialdom.

Seven national professional golf associations - Singapore, South Korea, India, Burma, Thailand, Philippines and Taiwan - signed up as founder members of the APGA Tour.

Jumbo Ozaki birdied the first five holes on his way to a seven-

under-par 65 yesterday to win the Yonex Open at Hiroshima by three shots.

Starting the final round three shots off the pace, Ozaki shot nine birdies in posting the day's best score for his second victory of the season and his 64th triumph on the Japan PGA tour.