A number of leading players are already planning to compete elsewhere with rumours ripe the European Tour could be losing two further events from the 2012 schedule.
To date, four tournaments have been cancelled this season due to a lack of sponsors.
They include the Majorca Open, Czech Open, the Madrid Masters and the following week’s Castellon Masters.
Also now in serious doubt is the October 18th commencing Andalucian Masters in Spain and the November 15th starting Hong Kong Open, won last year by current World No. 1 Rory McIlroy.
The state of the Spanish economy along with a recent change in government in the Spanish province of Andalucia has seen a drastic cut in public funding for major sporting events, including golf.
In 2010 Spain hosted seven European Tour events however the country looks likely to be hosting just one in 2013, the Spanish Open.
The Andalucia Masters, and previously known as the Volvo Masters, used to be one of three flagship events on the European Tour.
The tournament, first staged in 1988, was the season-ending event that more often than not, saw the crowning of a new European Tour No. 1.
Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie captured the 1993 Volvo Masters to also win the first of eight European Order of Merit titles, including seven in succession up to and including 1999 before securing an eighth in 2005.
However a move to co-sanction events with the Asian Tour saw the last Volvo Masters staged in 2008.
The new Andalucian Masters was first played in 2010 and won by then reigning U.S. Open champion, Graeme McDowell.
A Tour official indicated this week in Holland efforts are on-going to keep the tournament on the schedule but he was not overly confident.
It was also just in recent months prize-money from the 2011 event was paid to participating players.
Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who is host to the Madrid Masters, levels part of the blame also on Spain losing the bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup.
“Tournament golf is just not looking good in Spain at present and that’s very disappointing,” he said.
“But it does make sense that have had to cull tournaments as most of them, except for the Volvo World Match-Play, are funded by the various regional tourism boards within the respective governments.
“However the Spanish government overall is having to make cuts that are affecting normal citizens and they cannot be seen in these difficult times to be funding sporting events like golf tournaments.
“Also not helping is the fact Spain was unsuccessful in being awarded the 2018 Ryder Cup.
“If Spain had of won the right to hold the Ryder Cup the situation may have changed but the economy is terrible.
“I have hosted the Madrid Masters the last couple of years and while we have tried out best to keep the tournament going it was just too difficult.
“We are working hard to get the event back on the schedule for 2013 but at this stage it is not looking too good.
“It’s a shame because Spain hosted seven tournaments last year and next year we look like just playing host to one, and that’s the Spanish Open.
“So there is a lot of work to do if we are going to get back to the situation we had last year of seven events.
“Maybe we can’t stage the events on a yearly basis and maybe we will have to look at holding them on a two-year basis.
“We just need to rethink the whole situation with regards to tournaments in Spain.
“Also Spain will always be a good tourist destination to play golf and we need to keep promoting that despite what is happening with tournament golf in our country.”
Ryder Cup star, Martin Kaymer along with Sweden’s former Ryder Cup star, Robert Karlsson and Scotland’s recent European Masters winner, Richie Ramsay have already decided to compete in India that week in the Hero Honda Open in Bangalore, and the same week of the European Tour’s inaugural Perth International in Perth, Australia.
And with the Hong Kong Open also in doubt McDowell along with Medinah team mates Ian Poulter and Justin Rose have confirmed they will contest the Australian Masters in Melbourne that same week.
Poulter will defend the title he won last year while McDowell, who has competed in Hong Kong four years in succession from 2007, has not teed-up in Melbourne since 2005.
