1996–97 Asia Golf Circuit
| Duration | 17 October 1996 – 27 April 1997 |
|---|---|
| Number of official events | 10[a] |
| Order of Merit |  Kim Jong-duck |
| Rookie of the Year |  Dean Wilson |
← 1995–96 1997–98 → | |
The 1996–97 Asia Golf Circuit was the 36th season of the Asia Golf Circuit (formerly the Far East Circuit), one of the main professional golf tours in Asia (outside of Japan) alongside the Asian PGA Tour.
Schedule[edit]
The following table lists official events during the 1996–97 season.
| Date | Tournament | Host country | Purse (US$) |
Winner[b] | OWGR points |
Other tours[c] |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct | Chinfon Republic of China Open | Taiwan | 300,000 |  Hong Chia-yuh (a) (2) |
12 | ||
| Tugu Pratama Indonesian PGA Championship | Indonesia | – | Removed[d] | – | |||
| 8 Dec | Andersen Consulting Hong Kong Open | Hong Kong | 350,000 |  Rodrigo Cuello (1) |
14 | ||
| 16 Feb | Mitsubishi Motors Southwoods Open | Philippines | 250,000 |  Takao Nogami (1) |
12 | ||
| 23 Feb | Konica U-Bix Manila Open | Philippines | 200,000 | Yasuharu Imano (1) |
12 | New tournament | |
| 9 Mar | Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open | Malaysia | 300,000 |  Lee Westwood (n/a) |
14 | ||
| 16 Mar | Thai Airways Thailand Open | Thailand | 300,000 | Christian Chernock (1) |
12 | ||
| 23 Mar | Rolex Masters | Singapore | 300,000 |  Kyi Hla Han (1) |
12 | ||
| 30 Mar | Classic Indian Open | India | 300,000 | Ed Fryatt (2) |
12 | ||
| 20 Apr | Philippine Open | Philippines | 300,000 | Kevin Wentworth (1) |
12 | ||
| 27 Apr | Kirin Open | Japan | ¥100,000,000 | Kim Jong-duck (2) |
22 | JPN |
Order of Merit[edit]
The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in U.S. dollars.[2] The leading player on the Order of Merit earned status to play on the 1997 PGA of Japan Tour.[3]
| Position | Player | Prize money ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Jong-duck |
156,231 |
| 2 | Ed Fryatt |
119,420 |
| 3 | Kevin Wentworth |
107,523 |
| 4 | Larry Barber |
96,072 |
| 5 | Gary Rusnak |
75,653 |
Awards[edit]
| Award | Winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year (Tun Abdul Hamid Omar Award) | Dean Wilson |
[4] |
Notes[edit]
- ^ A further one tournament was scheduled but was removed from the schedule.
- ^ The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of Asia Golf Circuit events they had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Asia Golf Circuit members.
- ^ JPN − PGA of Japan Tour.
- ^ Proceeded as an Asian PGA Tour event.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ "APGC sees red as Indonesia joins rival Asian PGA tour". The Straits Times. Singapore. 10 October 1996. p. 48. Retrieved 30 December 2023 – via National Library Board.
- ^ "1997 Asian Tour final money list". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 28 April 1997. p. 44. Retrieved 30 December 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "金 鍾徳" [Kim Jong-duck] (in Japanese). Japan Golf Tour Organization. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
９７年、当時アジアンツアーの最終戦でもあった『キリンオープン』で６打差を逆転して優勝。日本での韓国選手の優勝は７２年『日本オープン』の韓長相以来、ツアー制度が施行された７３年以降では初めてのことだった。この優勝で出場権を得て以来、日本を主戦場に活躍。
[In '97, he won the Kirin Open, which was also the final round of the Asian Tour at the time, by coming back from a six-stroke deficit. It was the first time a Korean player had won in Japan since Han Chang-sang at the Japan Open in '72 and since the tour system was introduced in '73. Since winning this championship, he has been active in Japan.] - ^ "Golf | Wilson honored". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. 15 May 1997. p. 32 (D4 in paper). Retrieved 6 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.