KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian golf chiefs are threatening to withdraw their endorsement of the U.S. PGA’s first event in Southeast Asia over a clash of dates with an existing Asian Tour event in the country.

The $6 million Asia Pacific Classic, co-sanctioned by the U.S. PGA and Asian Tour, and the Iskandar Johor Open are both scheduled to take place in Malaysia from Oct. 28-31. “In my view, the timing is wrong. There cannot be two big golf tournaments going on in the country at the same time,” Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) president Robin Loh told Tuesday’s Star newspaper.

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The PGA Tour added a final component to its schedule of events for the 2010 season by announcing a new tournament on Tuesday.

The $4 million McGladrey Classic will be held from Oct. 7-10 as part of the Tour’s Fall Series and will be played on the Seaside Course at the Sea Island Resort, Georgia.

RSM McGladrey, an accounting, tax and business consulting firm, has agreed to be the title sponsor in a three-year deal, Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.

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CHICAGO (Reuters) – The head of the U.S. professional golf tour on Thursday applauded Tiger Woods’ decision to take a break from the game over a sex scandal, but he played down fears the sport would suffer from the absence.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem portrayed as exaggerated scenarios suggesting the tour would lose many sponsors and see its television ratings plummet 50 percent or more without the presence of the world’s No. 1 golfer.

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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The U.S. PGA Tour has agreed to a lucrative long-term deal to start playing an annual tournament in Malaysia as part of a push into southeast Asia.

The U.S. PGA Tour and the Asian Tour announced on Monday they would co-sanction the Malaysia Asia Pacific Golf Classic from 2010 under a multi-year deal.

The dates for next year’s event are yet to be finalised but the tournament will be staged late in the year at the Mines Resort and Golf Club and carry total prize money of $6 million.

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