Canadian golf tour rebranded, joins PGA Tour system

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem (BARBARA JOHNSTON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced today the Canadian Professional Golf Tour is being brought into the fold.

Its new name will be PGA Tour Canada and it will become part of the official feeder and development system for the PGA Tour and the Web.com Tour. The new structure of relationship is to include automatic berths for the top PGA Tour Canada players to move up to the Web.com Tour each season.

The 2013 PGA Tour Canada will include the Players Cup in Winnipeg, which is likely to remain in its mid-July time slot.

After offering financial life-support for the Canadian Tour in late 2011 and throughout 2012, the PGA Tour did extensive homework, including on-site visits to nearly every Canadian Tour event, before deciding to proceed.

"Having gained a thorough understanding of the golf landscape in Canada over the course of the 2012 season, we are confident that by fully dedicating our assets and resources, PGA Tour Canada will be well positioned to play an increasingly important role in professional golf," Finchem said. "With a solid foundation of existing tournaments along with outstanding opportunities to establish new events, we are confident PGA TOUR Canada will strengthen and grow in the coming years."

The PGA Tour will work with all Canadian media outlets including its television partners, Shaw/Global TV and TSN, to broaden coverage of PGA Tour Canada. The Tour also will highlight PGA Tour Canada through all media resources, including PGATOUR.com and digital platforms.

The PGA Tour Canada will debut with a minimum of eight summer tournaments in Canada next year offering a minimum purse of $150,000.

The Canadian Tour has been a training ground for up-and-coming professionals since its inception as the Peter Jackson Tour in 1971.

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