TheAsian Seniors Tour (AST)was founded in 2002 and the inauguralAsian Senior Masters (ASM)tournament was staged in Singapore in 2003 at the Jurong Country Club at whichrepresentatives from the PGAs of America, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan (ROC), New Zealand, Great Britain & Ireland, the Thailand Seniors PGA and the Philippines Senior PGA met to herald the birth and official launch of the Asian Seniors Tour.
The AST Secretariat based in Singapore, has since 2003, staged regular annual ASM tournaments in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia and stand alone events in the UK, Sri Lanka and China.
With COVID related travel restrictions easing plans to revive and schedule annual events in Cambodia, Vietnam, the UK and South Africa are underway.
The1st AsianSeniorMasters @ Singapore 2003 presented by Graham Brashwas the first Senior's PGA Tournament to be staged in South East Asia, which heralded the birth of the Asian Seniors Tour, at which Korea's Choi Yoon Soo emerged victorious against worthy challengers hailing from PGAs based all over the Asia Pacific, as well as South Africa along with numerous members of the European Seniors Tour's including Terry Gale then ranked Number 2 on the EST's Order of Merit.
In 2009 at the5th ASM @ Malaysia 2009 staged at Tasik Puteri GCCmembers of the ASTfounded and establish both theAsian Senior's PGA Tour (ASPGAT)
In 2016 members of theASTfounded and establish theASEAN Seniors Tourat the1st ASEAN Senior Open 2016 that was staged at Tering Bay GCC in Indonesia (Batam).
Since 2014 the Asian Senior Tour's leading senior professional golfer has been invited to take part in the annual US$ 2 million + purse Insperity Invitational presented by UnitedHealthcare staged at the Woodlands Country Club in Houston, representing the AST, playing in a US Champions Tour event.
In previous years the AST was represented at the Insperity Invitational by:
2014- Ahmad Bateman (Brunei) who returned 222 at 6 over par to place tied 48
2015- Murugiah (Singapore) who returned 234 at 18 over par to place tied 72
2016- Gunasagaran (Malaysia) who returned 222 at 6 over par to place tied 48
2017- Thingon Jansomboon (Thailand) who returned 227 at 11 over par to place tied 70
2018- Murugiah (Singapore) who returned 160 - 16 over after 2 days - withdrew claiming an injury
In 2016 the AST established a SUPER SENIORS division for our older members to cater to both the amateur and professionals golfers who attained 60 years of age and in 2017 we established a VETERANS division for golfers who have attained the age of 70.
In 2017 the Ladbrokes Legends Tour Committee (PGA Australia) generously extended an invitation for the AST’s leading senior professional to play in their Tour's 2 most prestigious events, the NSW Senior Open and the Australian PGA Seniors Championship.
In previous years the AST was represented at the NSW Senior Open and the Australian PGA Seniors Championship by AST OOM leaders;
2017 - Roszali Baharuddin (Malaysia)
2018 - Manas Saengsui (Thailand)
2019 - Roszali Baharuddin (Malaysia)
2022 - Tony Lam (Malaysia)
In May 2019 the AST and the Ladbrokes Legends Tour (PGA of Australia) further broaden their friendship and cooperation with the staging of the 1st co-sanctioned tournament the 7th Australian Senior Masters (ASM) @ Australian (Perth) 2019 aka the Pro-Weld Wembley Legends Pro-Am 2019 which offered an AUST $ 40k purse (of which some A$ 15k was put up by the AST) that was staged at the Wembley Golf Complex in Perth, WA on Monday 13th & Tuesday 14th May, some 22 AST members were among the field of 70 and it is sincerely hoped and anticipated that this will become an annual event on the schedules of both the AST and the Ladbrokes Legends Tour.
The AST's 2 best scoring members participating in the 7th ASM @ Australian (Perth) 2019 secured places to play in 3 professional tournaments that followed;
Royal Fremantle Pro-Am 2019 @ Royal Fremantle GC on Wed 15th May which offered an AUST $ 11k prize purse
- AST members who participated & their scores:
T 4 - AUS - Glenn Joyner - retuning -1
T 9 - AUS - Mike Zilko - returning 0
T 20 - ENG - Mark Lamb - returning +3
T 41 - MYS - Roszali Baharuddin - returning +9
ADH Club Car & Garock Legends Pro-Am 2019 @ Joondalup CC on Thu 16th May which offered an AUST $ 15k prize purse
- AST members who participated & their scores:
1 - AUS - Glenn Joyner (Australia) the Champion with - 3
T 9 - AUS - Mike Zilko - returning +3
T 15 - MYS - Roszali Baharuddin - returning +5
T 24 - MYS - Razli Yahya - returning +8
TSA Sanwell Senior Invitational 2019 @ Country GC on Sat 18th & Sun 19th May which offered an AUST $ 18k prize purse
- AST members who participated & their scores:
T 5 - AUS - Glenn Joyner - returning +2
T 17 - MYS - Roszali Baharuddin - returning +17
T 17 - MYS - Razli Yahya - returning +17
In addition the AST's leading player based on his OOM arising from the various ASM events contested during the AST 2019 Season as at the 1st of January 2020 will secure a waiver / pass straight into the Final Stage of the Ladbrokes Legends Tour (PGA of Australia) Qualifying School to be staged from Thu 9 & Fri 10 January 2020 @ Sandhurst GC on the (North Course) at which an AUST $3k prize purse will be offered.
The AST wish to thank and acknowledge the generous support received from the Legends Tour's Chairman and his committee, as well as extend a very big thank you to all of the AST's regular sponsors for their generous past and on going support with with special mention and thanks going to Mike Sinkinson (Thai Bauer) - John Cooper (CIES) - Roger Van Baal (Integra Global) - Alex McKay (Death of a Salesman) and Jerry Clayton (Kiwi Auto), for without their support the staging of the inaugural co-sanctioned 7th ASM @ Australian (Perth) 2019 tournament would not have been possible.
The AST continues with its efforts to secure playing opportunities for its members at other Senior Tournaments, in the Asia Pacific region and further afield internationally.
The ASM event platform format allows Sponsor's, their VIP Guests and the region's leading amateur golfers to compete in the Pro-Ams on their way to qualifying for places in the Amateur Finals staged during and in conjunction with ASM professional tournaments, offering amateurs the opportunity to play alongside and compete head to head with senior professional golfers contesting the ASM professional tournament.
The "Senior Masters" theme aptly reflects what the ASM event platform has to offer our sponsors, their VIP guests and amateur golfers, namely a friendly and most welcoming golf event where top caliber senior golfing professionals, each having played the game for over thirty years with hundreds of international victories among them, entertain and interact with the amateur golfers, during Pro-Ams staged prior to ASM professional tournaments.
ASM Golf (S) Pte Ltd and Tropical Wealth Sdn Bhd are the official event managers of all ASM tournaments that are staged and sanction by the AST, in co-operation with the host country's PGAs, such celebrated events contested by esteemed senior professional golfers, from around the world.
We at the AST, Tropical Wealth and ASM Golf wish to extend a big THANK YOU !! to all sponsors, golf clubs, PGAs and participants for their past and on going support.
