1971: Taiwan’s “Mr Lu” – Lu Liang Huan – finishes runner-up to Lee Trevino in the British Open and a week later wins the French Open at Biarritz, becoming the first Asian to capture a European Tour title.

1980: Isao Aoki of Japan is runner-up in the US Open.

1983: Aoki becomes the first Asian to win a US PGA Tour event when he holes out from the fairway for an eagle at the 18th in the Hawaiian Open. He also becomes just the second Asian to win a European Tour title with victory in the European Open at Sunningdale in England.

1985: Taiwan’s Chen Tze Chung – better known as TC Chen – is joint runner-up in the US Open, having led after three rounds.

1987: Chen becomes the second Asian to win on the US PGA Tour, and the first to do so on the US mainland, when he triumphs in the Los Angeles Open.

2000: Taiwan’s Yeh Wei Tze becomes just the third Asian – and the first for 17 years – to win a European Tour event, the jointly sanctioned Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

2002: Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama adds the Byron Nelson Classic to his 2001 Greater Milwaukee Open victory, making him the first Asian to win multiple US PGA Tour events.

2003: India’s Arjun Atwal becomes the first Asian to win two European Tour events when he triumphs in the jointly sanctioned Malaysian Open, adding to the Singapore Masters title he won in 2002.

2003: South Korea’s KJ Choi – already successful on the US PGA Tour – becomes only the third Asian, and the first since Aoki 20 years earlier, to win a European Tour event on European soil with victory in the German Masters at Gut Larchenhof.

2005: In February, Thongchai Jaidee is the first Asian to retain a European Tour title when he repeats his 2004 victory in the jointly sanctioned Malaysian Open. In October, Choi and Maruyama provide the first-ever Asian one-two finish in a US PGA Tour event at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro.