PGA Tour And Asian Tour Bickering Over Next Year's CIMB Classic

Reuters' Patrick Johnston reports that the 2013 event in Malaysia, which becomes part of the PGA Tour calendar and FedExCup next year, jumps from 48 players to 78 next year but will not see an increase in the number of exempt players from the co-sanctioning Asian Tour or PGA Tour of Malaysia.

"The eligibility next year is going to be 60 PGA Tour players off our FedEx Cup list and then it will be 10 Asian players off their order of merit and then eight sponsor exemptions," the PGA Tour's co-chief operating officer Ed Moorhouse said.

"We just think with the weather at this time of year, if you try and play more than 78 players it is going to be difficult to finish the tournament on Sunday," he said referring to the seasonal heavy thunderstorms in the Malaysian capital this week.

The Asian Tour were surprised to hear of Moorhouse's comments and told Reuters on Friday that there were meetings planned over the coming days to discuss the invite breakdown.

"As of now, nothing has been agreed on this matter," Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said via email from Singapore.

"But with the field size increasing from 48 players to 78 players next year, we expect the Asian Tour's allocation of players to increase proportionately.

"As a sanctioning partner of the CIMB Classic, we expect the new field breakdown to be reflective of our status in the tournament."