Canadian Tour purses to climb $325K in 2010

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/12/2009 (5744 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Canadian Tour has adopted a bold strategy for 2010, planning to inject an additional $325,000 into its purses to raise the profile of its product.

Its biggest move will be to raise prize money available at the Players Cup in Winnipeg to $300,000 next July, up from $200,000 when Graham DeLaet, one of the newest members of the PGA Tour, won the title in 2009.

In its just-released early version of next season’s schedule, the Players Cup is one of six tournaments that will see a hefty increase in purse. Though the Tour still isn’t confirming it, the tournament will again be held at Pine Ridge, July 15-18.

What’s the source of this financial bonanza unleashed by commissioner Rick Janes?

"We figured it was time to upgrade," the Tour’s deputy commissioner Dan Halldorson told the Free Press on Tuesday. "We’ve been sitting for many moons on some of those purses.

"We’ve been saving and conserving money for several years now. Hopefully we can make a statement that we’re growing, that we’re looking forward and hopefully attract some more corporate sponsorships."

Halldorson did say the Tour wanted to be well-positioned as a good Canadian investment for any firms looking to park new sponsorships after the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

One of the reasons the Tour is likely sitting on a bundle of cash is that its qualifying schools — recently as many as three per season — have been very successful. Entry fees to those events, where membership cards are available only to top finishers, are generally more than $2,000.

The Tour believes that if it beefs up prize money available at top events, then there will be even more interest in its Q-schools.

In Winnipeg, the Players Cup will continue to present the lure of a Canadian Open spot to the champion. If the same prize formula holds, then a $48,000 winner’s cheque is also looking pretty good.

Overall, the Tour is making a confident statement in its product, hoping to participate in the rally coming out of tough economic times.

"(The future) is unknown but the response we’ve had is very good," Halldorson said of the plan. "People are interested in what we’re doing."

Dauphin’s Ryan Horn is eager for the calendar to turn.

"This schedule looks pretty good, with quite a few bigger purses," Horn said. "I think our commissioner is doing a great job. I’ve been out here three years and I just knew he’d do something positive for our tour like getting us to some bigger purses."

In 2010, the Tour has scheduled 17 events, 11 in Canada. Not all the events on home soil are confirmed and one is officially dropped as the Edmonton event will be folded into the Calgary tournament and presented as the ATB Financial Classic presented by Telus for $250,000.

Also at $250,000 will be the Saskatchewan Open, the Times Colonist Open in Victoria and the Tournament Players Championship (formerly Montreal Open).

The Canadian Tour Championship will also see an increase from $250,000 to $325,000.

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Dauphin’s Ryan Horn went the farthest but it’s another dry year for Manitoba products with PGA Tour aspirations.

Horn advanced easily through first stage but stumbled in Stage 2 in Texas last month, finishing 17 shots away from the number that was required for an entry to Q-school finals.

"I played well the first day but lost my iron game after that," Horn said. "It’s tough to catch up when you’re trying to chip in on every hole.

"It’s OK, though. I’m looking at the positives. It was nice to get to second stage and I learned a lot, especially about where I need to improve."

Winnipeggers Adam Speirs and Matt Johnston failed to make it past first stage. All three are exempt members for the 2010 Canadian Tour season and its increased prize money.

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The Canadian Tour will adopt the new 2010 PGA Tour standard for modified grooves, but not until June 1. That will give its players an opportunity to find and get used to new, conforming irons (sharp, high-spinning grooves are banned), especially with seven early events in South America and Mexico.

The Tour plans to enforce the groove rule for all its events, though at Monday qualifiers, only successful qualifiers will be forced to use conforming clubs.

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YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING: A sign seen just last week in Chicago’s O’Hare airport just wasn’t going to hold.

Accenture’s wall-covering billboard featuring Tiger Woods and the catchline, "We know what it takes to be a Tiger," just doesn’t have the same meaning as it used to.

Accenture dropped Woods as its main spokesperson a few days ago.

 

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca