Dec. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Japan may turn to the U.S. and European PGA tours if a move to unite Asia’s major golf bodies continues to stall.

Japanese officials spoke with the two richest tours about bringing U.S. and European tournaments to its shores at a time when the Asian Tour is resisting a plan to join forces with Japan, Australia, China and South Korea, said Andy Yamanaka, chief secretary of the Japanese Golf Tour Organization.

“We have discussed the possibility but it’s nothing concrete,” Yamanaka said in a phone interview from Tokyo. “Unless we work together with other tours it’ll be difficult to continue being a successful tour.”

National tours in Asia, the fastest-growing region for golf, are seeking to band together in a bid to hold higher profile and richer tournaments -- and lay the groundwork for a circuit that aims to rival Europe as the world’s No. 2.

Japan, Australia, South Korea and China signed up over the past 15 months to the so-called OneAsia Tour. The Asian Tour, which already sees itself as the regional golf body, has balked at the move.

“The Asian Tour’s involvement is critical,” Yamanaka said. “We understand its position, but this is a concept which must be good for golf in the region.”

Under the initial plan, OneAsia was due to begin in 2009. Yamanaka said that’s not going to happen now.

“We’re going to commit anything for 2009 so hopefully in 2010 we can start something,” he said.

‘International Minded’

The PGA Tour and European Tour may benefit if Asian golf can’t agree on a united front.

The U.S. is already in talks about holding a World Golf Championship event in China next year as it seeks to push into Asia, where the European Tour co-sanctioned nine tournaments in 2008. The PGA last co-sanctioned an event in Japan in 2001, when Shizouka hosted the World Cup of Golf.

Whether through OneAsia or other tours, golf in Japan needs to become more international to satisfy sponsors such as Canon Inc., Panasonic Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., Yamanaka said.

“It has to be international-minded to keep them,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be OneAsia.”

The financial crisis hasn’t been felt yet on Japan’s major men’s tour, with next year’s schedule retaining the same number of events and offering more prize money, Yamanaka said.

The yen’s rise against the U.S. dollar has also increased the allure of playing in Japan, he said, with $2 million events now worth nearer $2.5 million.

“We are so lucky so far,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Grant Clark in Singapore at gclark@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: December 22, 2008 00:59 EST