• Els will skip season-ending event in Dubai in protest
• Players 'will have to choose between Europe and US'
Ernie Els has described as "farcical" the European Tour's increased playing demands and will register his disapproval by skipping this week's season-ending event in Dubai.
The South African is annoyed at the tour's new regulation that its members must play two of the three events leading into Dubai to be eligible for the $8m (£5m) season finale.
Els, a four-times major champion and former world No1, has been a member of the European Tour for nearly two decades.
"I don't think they really care," Els said wearily when asked how the tour had reacted to the news that he would not play in Dubai.
"Why would they make a decision like that and expect guys to play? It's farcical. In my view it's an absolute joke."
Els, who is also a member of the US PGA Tour, said he understood why the European Tour wanted to coax its top players into contesting more of the big-money Asian tournaments.
"I can see [the tour's point of view] but it's crazy," he said. "I've been playing both tours since 1994 and it's been no problem but for some reason now the European Tour expect us to play a full schedule.
"We used to play seven events and you could keep your card in Europe. Now you have to play more than in America. [That is] the direction they're going in. I just think it's the wrong one.
"I'm going to have to look at my schedule. I was there for the growth of this tour and now they're making it almost impossible for me to remain playing the tour.
"You could always play both tours. You've had Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy win both money lists.
"Now we have to make a decision where we never used to do that. Guys are not going to keep doing that. We've got families and schedules to keep."
The European Tour is struggling to keep up with the richer PGA Tour as more and more non-American players choose to play primarily in the United States.
Adam Scott, the Masters champion from Australia, quietly relinquished his European Tour membership a few years ago and now plays almost exclusively in the US and his homeland.