The Asian Tour has boosted prizemoney for the 2008 season as corporate sponsors continue to back a game that is booming across the region.
It includes a bumper three weeks in November where $17,25-million will be up for grabs in four tournaments that will attract some of the best golfers in the world.
The tour's executive chairperson Kyi Hla Han said the core of the schedule was based on the successful staging of a series of established events, including the Barclays Singapore Open where the prize pot rises to five million dollars.
In total, 29 tournaments has so far been confirmed for 2008 although that is expected to rise significantly once details of a number of other events are finalised.
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Six tournaments have ramped up their prize money, with the Pine Valley Beijing Open and Iskandar Johor Open now offering one million dollars while players at the Maybank Malaysian Open will vie for two million dollars.
The Midea China Classic and Macau Open will increase to $500 000 next year.
"Many of our events will raise their prize funds to record figures and this clearly signifies the growing strength of the game across the region and the support from corporate Asia," said Han.
"There will be no fewer than 11 tournaments that will offer more than one million in prizemoney and negotiations are also in the final stages for a number of other events to be added onto the schedule.
"Some of these are existing tournaments while others are new and exciting opportunities."
The Tour will visit 16 countries with the season kicking off in January with the inaugural Asian Tour International at a venue to be confirmed.
Several events have swapped dates in the opening months of the season with the Singapore Masters moving a month earlier to February 14-17 while the Malaysian Open will be held from March 6-9.
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