Camilo Villegas

Golf is about to get sexy. The huge prize money that will accompany the European Tour’s new schedule, due to be announced Monday, is set to lure some of the world’s spiciest golfers out of America. Top of that list is Camilo Villegas, the Colombian who has won the last two tournaments on the PGA Tour and has featured in People magazine’s list of the hottest bachelors.

George ’Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, said that the Gulf states were about to flex their financial muscles in terms of pulling in the world’s top golfers. The inconceivable prize money that such oil-rich countries can offer has started to arouse the interest of the glitterati of the American Tour.

’Grady said: “We’ve been talking to Phil Mickelson for some time. I talked personally to him at the Scottish Open and to his management at the Ryder Cup. Villegas is also managed by IMG and they have been making inquiries on his behalf.

“Sergio Garcia has said that he will play more on the European Tour next year and he is close friends with Camilo. Sergio’s and Camilo’s management are keen to get to the Latin-speaking audiences. So will Camilo play in Sergio’s tournament (the Castello Masters) next year?

“There’s also Anthony Kim (of Korean heritage, a country that the European Tour visited for the first time this year). He gave Sergio a thrashing in the Ryder Cup, but the pair are also good pals.

“As Lee Westwood said last week, we welcome all the Mickelsons and the other great players if they are going to join us. Protectionism doesn’t help standards get better. Think what it did for Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke when they were able to beat Tiger Woods.”

’Grady says no one could have foreseen the banking crisis — 14 of the PGA Tour’s American tournaments in 2008 were sponsored by banks — and that Europe is “lucky” to be relatively insulated. But it’s strange how often shrewd businessmen seem to get lucky. Europe’s investment in the Middle East and beyond has left them in the two-dollar seats.

This weekend a lot of whey-faced golfers are playing on three of Scotland’s traditional links at the behest of Johan Rupert, a very rich South African. But in 10 years’ time the face of the tour, both ethnically and geographically, may have changed beyond recognition.

In the 20th century the possibility of a Colombian joining the European Tour would have been almost inconceivable. But next month Villegas (who won his first tournament last year in Japan, a title he is defending this week) will play in a lucrative skins tournament in Bahrain. It is surely a sign of things to come. The tournament is being organised by IMG in a country that has an established business partnership with the European Tour through Axem Sports, a company who operate in Saudi and Bahrain.

Several of the other Gulf States are much further down the line. ’Grady said: “Abu Dhabi and Qatar are flexing their muscles in terms of prize money and attractiveness.”

Next season will end with the Race to Dubai, a tournament worth $20 million. And if Villegas, Kim or Mickelson join the tour, it is conceivable that they could be looking at a single putt worth $3,666,660.