Hsu Chia-jen
The Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship will make its return to the Asian Development Tour in August with an increased prize fund of US$110,000.
The second edition of the event will be staged at the magnificent Tong Hwa Golf & Country Club in Chinese Taipei from August 25th - 28th, with the prize pot seeing a significant 22 per cent jump from US$90,000 offered at its inaugural event last season.
Initiated by the Asian Tour, which is the official sanctioning body for professional tournament golf in Asia, the Asian Development Tour was launched last year with the objective of creating a viable platform for young and aspiring professionals to hone their game and skills before joining the elite Asian Tour.
Ballantine’s has been one of the Asian Tour’s strongest supporters as it already title sponsors the €2.2 million (approximately US$2.8 million) Ballantine’s Championship in Korea, an event jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
“The inaugural Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship was a great success and we are delighted to increase the prize fund for the 2011 edition. Ballantine’s is honoured to be involved with the growth of golf in the region and we are looking forward to the second staging of the event which will significantly showcase our brand again,” said Tim Paech, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Taiwan.
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han extended his appreciation to Ballantine’s for its full support of the Asian Development Tour, which is structured along the lines of the Nationwide Tour in the United States and European Challenge Tour.
“The increase in prize money is a significant boost and it will be welcomed by our players on the Asian Development Tour. It also reflects on the commitment and value that sponsors enjoy with the Tour,” said Han.
“We are delighted that the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship will continue to create an impact on the landscape of professional golf in Chinese Taipei and across Asia,” he added.
In 2010, Malaysia’s S. Siva Chandhran topped the Order of Merit on the Asian Development Tour and earned his Asian Tour card along with second-ranked Hsu Chia-jen of Chinese Taipei and another Malaysian, Akhmal Tarmizee, who finished third on the rankings.
The Asian Development Tour is proving to be a good launch pad for aspiring stars to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf.
The leading three players on the Asian Development Tour in 2011 will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for themselves.
