SINGAPORE (AP) -- Asia's largest golf organization has accused the PGA of Australia of attempting to "invade Asia" and is appealing to the international federation to stop a proposed rival tour.

The PGA of Australia announced recently it had an agreement with the Japan Golf Tour Organization and national associations in China and South Korea to create a new OneAsia Tour starting next January.

An initial 20 tournaments each offering minimum prize money of $1.5 million was proposed.

The Asian Tour immediately reacted by saying it would not endorse the new tour and on Tuesday said it was making a formal request to the International Federation of PGA Tours to discuss "recent developments initiated by the PGA of Australia."

"The International Federation represents the six major international tours and among its charters is for the tours to promote close cooperation," Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said in a statement. "The Asian Tour views the PGA of Australia's recent overtures into Asia as a clear violation of the Federation's ideals.

"We also strongly oppose its blatant action of entering the Asian market without the official involvement of the Asian Tour. The PGA of Australia has stepped out its boundaries."

PGA of Australia Tour Commissioner Ben Sellenger said the proposed OneAsia Tour doesn't necessarily need the Asian Tour's approval or support to go ahead.

Han said he was "extremely disappointed" with that stance.

"This is clearly an ignorant attempt to disregard the role of the Asian Tour," Han said. "As a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, the Asian Tour is the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia which the PGA of Australia is fully aware of.

"The Asian Tour has expanded to 28 tournaments with nearly $40 million in prize money for our 2008 season, which is unprecedented, and it has become obvious to us that the PGA of Australia, whose tour is struggling to put up a good schedule, is attempting to invade Asia for its own benefit."

The Australian PGA Tour in particular was keen to form an alliance in the Asia-Pacific region. It has seen its 10 or so biggest tournaments of the past decade reduced to about six due to lack of corporate sponsorship and television rights.

Most of the country's leading golfers play on the PGA TOUR in the United States and make few regular tournament appearances back in Australia.

"What we're talking about isn't something that is going to happen overnight," Sellenger said. "But I think that with a population of more than three billion people in this region, it would be silly to suggest that the dominance you currently see on the PGA TOUR will continue to exist to the exclusion of the Asia-Pacific region in 15 to 20 years.

"I think you'll see a changing of the guard over time so that this region becomes stronger and stronger. What we need now is a platform that will allow that to happen."

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