Golfers to cash in

The first official documents of the new OneAsia tour have been distributed to players, formally outlining plans including:
Making it the world's third-largest tour.
Player eligibility criteria for tournaments.
Having a year-round schedule enabling careers to be forged in our time zones.
In the documents, OneAsia officials from the Australasian, Korean and Chinese tours also distanced thmselves from the renegade Asian Japan holiday.
Criteria for the first two events in OneAsia's Super Series, to begin in five weeks, were outlined with the European co-sanctioned China Open worth $4.5 million. At least 16 Australasian PGA Tour players will be eligible as part of a minimum 76-strong Asia-Pacific contingent in a field of 156.
PGA of Australia tour commissioner Ben Sellenger, who has moved to Singapore to co-ordinate the new program, said he hoped to add to the six tournaments previously announced this year.
As reported in the Herald Sun last week, the Japanese tour also reaffirmed its intention to join from next year, bolstering the number of events to at least 13.
Sellenger was confident the 2011 OneAsia schedule would take in at least 20 tournaments, allowing players from each country the chance to remain active on their respective home tours.
"This year is just the first step in creating an elite platform of golf that runs from Delhi through to Auckland," he said. "It's a platform that will sit above and complement the regional tours . . . and give the players from all the bodies involved the chance to compete on a tour that's a genuine alternative to the (US) PGA and European tours."
Sellenger said Japan's involvement was vital to OneAsia's vision, with the size and reach of the new entity important in attracting new sponsors.
"With the global financial difficulties, it's even more important now because we can co-operate fully and create efficiencies that benefit us all, rather than everyone competing," Sellenger said.
The players' documents committed the new body to take up the region's battle to ensure its events were afforded sufficient points towards world rankings.