The Asian Tour will include five new golf tournaments in an expanded 2010 schedule of at least 28 events announced Tuesday.
The Avantha Championship and Nimbus Pro-Am Championship will make their debuts at India in February, while other new events are being finalized for Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, the Asian Tour said in a statement.
Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said a second tier circuit, the Asian Development Tour, would be launched in 2010 for emerging players who do not have full playing rights on the Asian Tour, similar to the Nationwide Tour in the United States and the European Challenge Tour.
The Asian Tour said the total prize fund on offer next year will be in excess of $39 million. Han said the Tour was forecasting between 30 to 35 events with over $45 million in prize money from 2012 onwards
The 2010 season will open with the third edition of the Asian Tour International at Bangkok's Suwan Country Club from Feb. 4.
