Professional men's golf in the United States-based PGA Tour resumes next week, while the European Tour is expected to restart at next month's July 22-25 British Masters. The sport's fate in Asia, though, is far from certain during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Asian Tour's chief executive Cho Minn Thant said last week the regional body is targeting a return in September but is mindful of the hurdles that may crop up with different countries having different rules for entry and exit, quarantine, testing and social distancing.

Last season, it had 24 events in 13 countries offering prize money of US$25 million (S$35.1 million) while its second-tier Asian Development Tour (ADT) ended with 19 tournaments across six countries.

This term's Asian Tour was halted in March after the Malaysian Open. Three other national Opens in Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand were completed.

For the Republic's touring professionals, the lack of tournaments has taken a toll on their bank accounts.

Koh Dengshan earned US$2,900 from his 64th-place finish at the Sentosa Golf Club. That remains his only pay cheque this year after he missed the cut at the Malaysia Open and the 31-year-old has had to dip into his savings while waiting for news from the Asian Tour.

Last year, he earned just over US$11,000 from the Asian Tour and ADT and another $6,125 from the Singapore Professional Golfers' Association (SPGA) domestic series.

He is finalising the paperwork needed to apply for the Government's Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (Sirs), which distributes three quarterly payouts of $3,000 each. The first was in May, with the next two in July and October. Successful applicants will receive all three payments, regardless of when they submitted their claim, the authorities have said.

"It's definitely been tough with no income for the past few months and even the rest of the year looks uncertain for golfers like me to make a living," Koh, who expected to play in about 20 tournaments this year, told The Straits Times.

While some sports facilities are expected to reopen during Phase 2, it is unclear if this includes golf courses and driving ranges, which were closed during the two-month circuit breaker.

Stuck at home with the golf tour on hold and courses closed, Koh Dengshan practised his swing

with a foam ball and exercised almost every day using his stationary bicycle and TRX

resistance bands. PHOTO: COURTESY OF KOH DENGSHAN

To keep his game sharp and maintain his fitness levels, Koh cleared some furniture to create a temporary space in his parent's HDB flat so he could practise his swing - hitting a foam ball into a hanging bed sheet - and worked out almost every day using his stationary bicycle and TRX bands.

He said: "This is the longest I've been away from a golf course so I thought it's important to stay active, keep training and be ready."

One strategy the Asian Tour is exploring to restart is grouping tournaments in the same country over multiple weeks. Cho said: "There is a lot of collaboration going on between promoters and sponsors to try and make it work, because it would certainly reduce the travel involved, and costs."

Backers in India are reportedly keen, with three back-to-back events worth almost US$2.5 million being planned in and around Delhi starting from mid-October.

Such arrangements will likely benefit the host country's local pros but may not be attractive or feasible for overseas players, particularly if there are quarantine demands, noted Singapore's No. 1 golfer Quincy Quek.

The world No. 519, who has two young children, said: "That India trip could require almost two months - 14 days' quarantine at the start, three weeks of golf, and another 14 days' quarantine when we return home.

"It just doesn't make sense if we have to keep doing this."

He won two titles last year, pocketing 437,320 yuan (S$86,100) on the PGA Tour Series-China and another US$12,700 on the ADT. A missed cut at the Singapore Open in January was his sole competitive outing this campaign.

VIRTUALLY A LOST YEAR

It's definitely been tough with no income for the past few months and even the rest of the year looks uncertain for golfers like me to make a living.

'' KOH DENGSHAN, Singapore's fifth-ranked golfer, who had expected to play in 20 events this year.