Saudi-backed Asian Tour are taking on dominance of PGA Tour & DP World Tour

Greg Norman insists his prime motivation is to «grow the game of golf». It therefore makes us wonder why the Saudi Arabian-backed Asian Tour he promotes is staging a $2m event in England this June?

There are already nine men's professional events in the UK between May and October in 2022. In golf terms it is hardly «virgin space», another Norman buzz phrase.

Why the need to bring the Asian Tour's International Series to the Centurion Club near St Albans — incidentally, the home town of Samuel Ryder, founder of the Ryder Cup, the biggest golf show on the planet?

The date, 9-12 June, comes the week before the third men's major of the year, the US Open, and coincides with the Scandinavian Mixed tournament in Sweden. That is another «grow the game» event and comes from the established men's and women's tours in Europe.

Well, the reason the Centurion Asian Tour event is happening is because Norman's company, Liv Golf Investments, wants to shake the status quo and take on the dominance of the American-based PGA Tour and European-based DP World Tour.

He is challenging the notion that they have a divine right to be the game's pre-eminent circuits, so he is parking Saudi-funded golf buggies on the manicured lawns of the golfing establishment.

Come June, Hertfordshire will not be staging the biggest tournament, it will not have the strongest field, but it might have potential to be an event of true significance to the future of the world game.

Most likely, Norman's ultimate aim is to create a Formula 1-style Super Golf League. «Absolutely there are going to be things announced in the future,» Norman said.

«But right now our focus is on this. Our mission is to make sure this platform is firmly cemented in the world of golf.

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