14°c Light rain
13°c Rain
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
PGA Tour of Canada debuts next season
Tim Finchem (CP)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- After lending strategic and financial support to the Canadian Tour over the last year, the PGA Tour officially put the development golf circuit under its umbrella Thursday and renamed it PGA Tour Canada.
The tour will debut in 2013 with at least eight summer tournaments in Canada offering a minimum purse of $150,000. The conversion will begin Nov. 1.
"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," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.
"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 developmental tour will provide direct access to the Web.com Tour for its leading money winners, based on the final Order of Merit. The top five players will receive playing privileges on the Web.com Tour, while the next five will be exempt into the finals of the Web.com Tour qualifying school.
The Canadian Tour has been a training ground for up-and-coming professionals since its inception as the Peter Jackson Tour in 1971.
"This is the logical next step for the Tour's sustainability and growth," said Canadian Tour board chair Pierre Blouin. "The PGA Tour provided invaluable assistance throughout the 2012 season and through its evaluation process saw strong potential.
"Golf is incredibly popular in Canada and PGA Tour Canada will be a very important part of Canada's sports landscape in the coming years."
Details on the full schedule and the Tour's executive structure will be announced at a later date. The PGA Tour Canada hopes to eventually grow to 12 or 13 events.
"We have long recognized the many advantages of joining forces with the PGA Tour," said Canadian Tour commissioner Rick Janes. "It not only brings a new level of stature to Canada's domestic circuit, it ensures that PGA Tour Canada will continue to attract the best young professionals...
"For developing young Canadian players the opportunity to compete on home soil against top PGA Tour prospects from around the world is a tremendous advantage."
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 19, 2012 C8
More Golf
- Back to Top
- Return to Golf
More Golf
(1 of 9 articles for today)
Giulia Molinaro wins Friends of Mission Charity Classic for first Symetra Tour title
9:02 PM 0ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Giulia Molinaro won the Friends of Mission Charity Classic on Sunday for first Symetra Tour title, closing ...
Poll
Most Popular Golf
- At LAST
- Ken Venturi had precious friendship with Byron Nelson; CBS Sports remembers former analyst
- Golf Capsules
- The chatter over Tiger's on-course antics won't stop
- Canadian tour can start living up to potential
- Jennifer Johnson wins Mobile Bay LPGA Classic for 1st title, finishing with back-to-back 65s
- Helmet-headed Winnipeg golf fans pound beer as they cheer Weir
- Keegan Bradley still leads after 3 rounds, could be Nelson's 1st wire-to-wire winner since '80
- Louis Oosthuizen withdraws from Nelson before 4th round (neck); Michael Bradley also out
- McDowell beats Colsaerts at World Match Play to reach semis; Grace, Aiken advance
- The chatter over Tiger's on-course antics won't stop
- Ken Venturi had precious friendship with Byron Nelson; CBS Sports remembers former analyst
- Tiger has last laugh as Sergio sinks like stone
- Unplayable lie now ground under repair
- FERGUSON ON GOLF: The Tiger Woods way is letting others beat themselves
- Scrutiny on Tiger Woods now for different reasons - rules, sportsmanship and bickering
- Tiger Woods wins Players Championship as Sergio Garcia's hopes drown on famed island green
- At LAST
- Marshals offer differing tales of the incident that sparked Woods-Garcia feud
- No red carpet for Tiger at Players
- City duffers get seriously teed off
- Tiger Woods wins Players Championship as Garcia's hopes drown on island-green 17th
- The chatter over Tiger's on-course antics won't stop
- Ken Venturi had precious friendship with Byron Nelson; CBS Sports remembers former analyst
- Tiger has last laugh as Sergio sinks like stone
- No red carpet for Tiger at Players
- Police claim crack in 50-year-old golf course murder case, suspect dead
- Unplayable lie now ground under repair
- FERGUSON ON GOLF: The Tiger Woods way is letting others beat themselves
- Greg Norman says golf needs blood testing to fight doping, calls current rules 'disgraceful'
- The chatter over Tiger's on-course antics won't stop
- Marshals offer differing tales of the incident that sparked Woods-Garcia feud
- 14-year-old Guan playing at Nelson, his second PGA Tour event since making cut at Masters
- At LAST
- Canadian tour can start living up to potential
- City duffers get seriously teed off
- Tiger Woods wins Players Championship as Garcia's hopes drown on island-green 17th
- The chatter over Tiger's on-course antics won't stop
- Marshals offer differing tales of the incident that sparked Woods-Garcia feud
- 14-year-old Guan playing at Nelson, his second PGA Tour event since making cut at Masters
- At LAST
- Canadian tour can start living up to potential
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.