Tiger Woods' return is definitely welcome, but it wasn't the week's biggest golf news

More are sure to follow. (AP/Damien Dovarganes)

Sure, the confirmation of Tiger Woods’ return to competition next week at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship dominated yesterday’s golf headlines. It’s great news for the PGA Tour, Accenture and Golf Channel, but it wasn’t the most significant development of the week.

Largely unnoticed Monday was the announcement in Hong Kong that the R&A, the Masters and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation have joined forces to create the Asian Amateur Championship. The winner will earn a start in the following year’s Masters and the top two finishers will be exempt into International Final Qualifying for the British Open.

What’s the big deal? Look no further than the buzz created by the American debut this week of Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa – remember, his first name is pronounced YO – at the Northern Trust Open. He’s just the tip of an Asia-Pacific iceberg.

“We thought if we could identify good golfers and create heroes who would be emulated by other kids, in the process they would be attracted to the game,” Billy Payne, chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, told the Associated Press.

The Asian Amateur and its spoils will indeed raise the profile of amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region, further fueling a much-anticipated golf growth spurt in that part of the world. Short of golf joining the Olympics in 2016, the Asian Amateur creates the biggest incentive for youngsters to take up the game in the region’s history.

“The potential to grow the game in Asia-Pacific is very large and the creation of this championship represents a wonderful opportunity to see the region’s talent flourish,” said Peter Dawson, the R&A’s chief executive.

It also translates into a likely infusion of cash to members of the Asia Pacifc Golf Confederation, who administer the amateur game in their respective regions. The Masters and the R&A have agreed to underwrite the Asian Amateur Championship, meaning they will pay for the venue and funnel competitors’ expense money to APGC member organizations.

There are two back stories, as well:

• One is the heightened influence of China’s first family of golf, Mission Hills owner Dr. David Chu, his daughter Carol and sons Ken and Tenniel. Mission Hills will host the inaugural Asian Amateur Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

Mission Hills, a 12-course resort complex and conference center that straddles the cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan, already has a 10-year deal to host the Omega World Cup for pros. It is home to a David Leadbetter Academy, the Faldo Series Asia and hosts the Asia Pacific Open Amateur Championship.

 “The Asian Amateur is another chance for Mission Hills to blow their trumpet about being synonymous with golf in Asia, and for their efforts to grow the game in the region.,” said Spencer Robinson, editor of Asian Golf Monthly magazine.

The Asian Amateur will be held in Japan in 2010, then return to Mission Hills in 2011, reportedly as part of an agreement with organizers to bring it back to the Chu property every three years.

• Also noteworthy is the added importance taken on by the World Amateur Golf Ranking, which was created by the R&A in 2007. Similar to the Official World Golf Ranking for pros, the WAGR is determined by points awarded for places in select tournaments, based on strength of field.

The WAGR is dominated by players from the United States, Europe and Great Britain. Routhly two-thirds of the more than 2,400 ranked players are Americans, including 57 of the top 100. Thirty of the top 100 are from Europe or the UK.

Because the Asian Amateur was created to promote the growth of golf in the Asia-Pacific region, its 120-man field will reflect equal participation among the 32 members of the APGC rather than strength of field.

Each APGC member organization will be represented by its top two players in the WAGR as of a specified date (August 14 this year). An additional two players from the host nation will join them. APGC members that do not have a ranked player may nominate contestants, provided those players have verifiable handicaps of less than 5.4. No doubt anticipating some ruffled feathers, organizers also can offer special invitations at the discretion of the tournament committee.

Assuming all APGC members choose to participate, and those without ranked players can come up with two low single-digit players with verifiable handicaps, 66 spots in the field of 120 will account for equal APGC representation. The other 54 berths will comprise the highest ranked players not otherwise eligible, with a limit of six players per APGC member.

Without such a limit, the field for the Asian Amateur would be dominated by Australians and New Zealanders. There are 111 Aussies and 72 Kiwis in the WAGR.

(New Zealand’s Danny Lee, who was born in Korea, is No. 1 in the WAGR. He won the 2008 U.S. Amateur and has announced plans to turn pro after the Masters, which will make him ineligible for the Asian Amateur. The top-ranked Australians are No. 30 Matthew Giles and No. 49 Brendan Smith. After Lee, the top New Zealanders are No. 55 Troy Ropiha and No. 62 Ryan Fox.)

Not surprising, players from Korea and Japan figure to have a strong presence at the Asian Amateur. Korea has 45 ranked players, including No. 13 Shiwan Kim, who plays college golf for Stanford, and No. 111 Tae-hoon Song. Japan has 38 ranked players, but the highest is No. 561.

China, which the golf industry is banking on to fuel the game’s growth worldwide, has eight ranked players, including No. 231 Mu Hu (a freshman at the University of Florida) and No. 755 Ren Han. Even though they technically are Special Administrative Regions under China’s “one nation, two systems” policy, Hong Kong and Macau are autonomous SPGC members and thus will field their own players. Hong Kong’s best player is No. 671 Steven Lam.

Six nations with established golf histories will be factors: Malaysia (14 ranked players), India (11), Philippines (10), Singapore (10), China’s pesky neighbor Chinese Taipei (Taiwan, 10) and Thailand (8).  Judson Eustaquio of the Philippines, who plays for Florida Southern College and won the 2008 Florida State Amateur, is No. 34 in the WAGR.

Thanks to the Asian Amateur’s ethos of equality, the 20 APGC members that are barely on golf’s radar screen will have the opportunity to send players. They undoubtedly will be out of their league, but will gain the satisfaction of being golf pioneers in their respective nations.

Sri Lanka has two ranked players, the highest being No. 947. Myanmar and Pakistan each have one ranked player (Nos. 1,578 and 2,233, respectively). Eight APGC members do not have a ranked player as of Feb. 20 – Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Fiji, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (known in golf for European Tour tournaments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi).

Nine members – Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Iran, Guam, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal and Samoa – aren’t even included in the “search by country” function on the World Amateur Golf Rankings section of the R&A Web site.

Look for that to change over the next decade. First comes recognition, followed by aspiration, then hopefully success. 

 • TIGER FANS, TAKE NOTE: Check out National Sports Examiner Paula Duffy's review of Bob Smiley's new book, "Follow the Roar."