Diaries will be consulted today after the announcement of the European Tour's schedule for 2009. The European Tour goes high, far and wide, like many an amateur's drive. Next year it will stage tournaments in China, Australia, South Africa, India, Malaysia, South Korea, the Middle East and Europe, but what is generating the most interest is The Race to Dubai, the rebranded Order of Merit, which will conclude there in November 2009 with the Dubai World Championship, worth a smidgin over £10million.

Only the top 60 European Tour members can compete in Dubai. A good question these days is to assess how many professionals may join the European Tour in the coming weeks to have a shot at pocketing some of the cash on offer in Dubai, at a time of the year when there is precious little significant golf happening anywhere else. Phil Mickelson is expected to decide soon. Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Geoff Ogilvy, Australians all, are thought to be interested.

The name of Camilo Villegas, the Colombian who has won the past two events on the tour in the United States, is another. Even Sergio García, who could not be described as the most ardent supporter of the European Tour, is said to be demonstrating an interest.

The money in golf is no longer with the motor companies and banks in the US, who are associated with more than 20 events on the PGA Tour. The new money in the game is in China, India and the Middle East and of these three, the biggest and the hottest is the Middle East. Dubai started it, followed by Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain is demonstrating an interest. Soon there will be a four or five-week run of tournaments in that part of the world.