Singapore: Asia continues to be an important region for the DP World Tour, according to Keith Pelley, European Tour Group Chief Executive.

In the wake of the Asian Tour’s recent alignment with LIV Golf Investments, Pelley said the renamed DP World Tour will cease immediately staging co-sanctions with the Asian body.

However, Pelley has no qualms for the DP World Tour to hold events in the region as the battle lines in the on-going clashes of the professional Tours to cement an Asian footprint continue to be drawn.

The latest development will see Japan become the 51st different country to host a DP World Tour event.

For the first time, the DP World Tour will visit the land of the Rising Sun for the ISPS Handa – Championship at PGM Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama from April 21-24, 2022.

“As we saw earlier this month with our announcement about the Hero Indian Open returning to our 2022 schedule in February, Asia continues to be an important region for the DP World Tour and our first visit to Japan in April further underlines that,” said Pelley.

The ISPS Handa – Championship will be the first regular tournament to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.

Previously, the only event on Japanese soil to feature on the DP World Tour schedule was the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama last summer.

The 2022 ISPS Handa – Championship will have a US$2 million prize fund and is the first event in a three-year agreement.

DP World became the new title sponsor of the European Tour group’s main Tour from the start of the 2022 season. The DP World Tour will feature a minimum of 47 events in 27 different countries, including new tournaments in Japan, the UAE, South Africa and Belgium.

Pelley said: “The DP World Tour is a global Tour and, as a result, we relish opportunities such as this to break new ground; in the process creating exciting golf tournaments for our fans worldwide and wonderful opportunities for our players and stakeholders alike.” 

ISPS Handa was founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in the belief that sport has the power to inspire, transform, and unite people and communities across social, racial and socio-economic barriers