ADT and MENA Tour’s join hands for a better future
The Asian Tour has announced a strategic partnership with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Tour, which will help facilitate the formation of one of the most comprehensive and innovative development tours in the modern game.
The new alliance will see the Asian Tour’s popular tier-two circuit, the Asian Development Tour (ADT), align with the MENA Tour – with the ultimate goal of merging in 2023.
2022 will be a season of transition with the intention to stage a number of ADT and MENA Tour co-sanctioned tournaments before the end of Q2, which will provide equal playing opportunities to both sets of Members.
In 2023 the ADT and MENA Tour will then unify to become a single and formidable platform from which players can graduate to the main Tour. Competitors will be able to access the new development tour through the Asian Tour Qualifying School.
“We want to create an amplified pan-Asian development pathway by 2023 feeding directly into the Asian Tour,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour.
“The Asian Development Tour has always been an intrinsic part of our ecosystem and this new partnership with our friends at the MENA Tour is a forward-thinking statement of intent to build a combined property for the betterment of professional golf across the length and breadth of our region.”
The Asian Development Tour is hoping to stage 10-12 events in 2022 ‒ an important number of these with the MENA Tour. Dialogue and strategic planning will now continue at pace with the objective to optimise opportunities for all players and where possible try to minimise the amount of travel between tournaments to make it cost effective and safer for competitors.
The Asian Tour recently also announced its $200mn deal with LIV Golf Investments, headed by former World No.1 Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Golf.
Credits:-
Photo – Asian Tourr