Is Australian golf a joke?

We here in Australia like to think that we are a force in world golf. Eight of our nationals are well represented in the World Top 100.

Truth is we are being treated at a joke.

Certainly the JBWere Masters was a huge success. Tiger Woods came, he saw and he conquered but whom else of merit, other than Olgivy, Scott and a couple more home grown loyals, was in the field?

Stars like Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie teed it up in Hong Kong, none came to Melbourne.     

Can you believe it, despite the fact that the Australian Master which is Australia’s premier event, was co-sanctioned by the European tour, they staged another event in direct competition to it in Hong Kong .

Why would Europe co-sanction a second event, in the same week as the Masters other than that Australia is a joke.

Hong Kong had a $1M purse and it is 9 hours closer to Europe. If you were a player on the European Tour which event would you choose?

Let’s no kid ourselves; Australia is not a part of Europe. It is time we looked at fields far closer to home.

Now is the time for Australia's three big tournaments, the Open, PGA and Masters, to go with OneAsia, which aims to provide a player pathway by linking some of the biggest tournaments in the region.

One Asia’s potential is enormous. A tour that can start in India and go all the way through Asia, Australia and New Zealand, ultimately offering 40 tournaments or more, all played in this part of world is much better for everyone.

The OneAsia Tour has the potential to be the biggest tour; bigger than the European Tour; bigger than anything America can stage. Why? Because this is where the future wealth of the world is centred.

It is time Australian golf got on the bandwaggon before we get left behind.