PGA EuroPro Tour
Current season, competition or edition: 2017 PGA EuroPro Tour | |
 | |
| Sport | Golf |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Countries |
Based in the United Kingdom. Current schedule includes a tournament in Spain. |
| Official website | http://www.europrotour.com/ |
The PGA EuroPro Tour is a men's developmental professional golf tour. It was created in 2002 by the merger of two development tours, the EuroPro Tour and the PGA MasterCard Tour.[1] It is based mainly in the United Kingdom, with a few events in other countries. Most of the players are British, with others coming from Ireland, Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Beginning in July 2015, the four third-level tours will carry Official World Golf Ranking points.[2]
The purpose of the tour is to provide young professional golfers with a platform to launch a tournament career. In 2015, the total prize money rose to over £800,000. Each event saw its prize fund increased by 25% to £50,000 with winner's prize remaining at £10,000.[3] The Tour Championship has a £90,000 prize fund with £20,000 going to the winner[4]
The top five finishers on the Order of Merit win a tour card for the following season on Europe's second tier golf tour, the Challenge Tour, and also a place at the Stage Two Qualifying School for the European Tour.
Each event on the tour was broadcast in 2006 as a 90-minute highlights package on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. A new deal was agreed for the 2007 season for each programme to last for two hours.[5]
In 2013 the PGA EuroPro Tour agreed to a new five-season deal with Sky Sports, ensuring the tour would be broadcast by Sky Sports until at least 2017.[6] The PGA EuroPro Tour agreed to various new broadcast deals with international partners in 2016 and the tour is now seen in 98 countries.[7]
Alumni who have gone on to win on the European Tour include Jordan Smith, Scott Jamieson, Daniel Brooks, and Simon Thornton.
Order of Merit winners
| Year | Player | Country | Earnings (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Matthew Cort |  England | 33,920 |
| 2015 | Jordan Smith | England | 32,984 |
| 2014 | Elliot Saltman |  Scotland | 27,991 |
| 2013 | Oliver Farr |  Wales | 33,495 |
| 2012 | Paul Maddy | England | 32,822 |
| 2011 | Chris Hanson | England | 37,930 |
| 2010 | Daniel Gaunt |  Australia | 24,700 |
| 2009 | Scott Jamieson | Scotland | 23,492 |
| 2008 | Noel Fox |  Ireland | 26,897 |
| 2007 | Graeme Clark | England | 43,689 |
| 2006 | Kevin Harper | England | 29,259 |
| 2005 | Mark Smith | England | 54,878 |
| 2004 | Simon Lilly | England | 37,047 |
| 2003 | Tom Whitehouse | England | 34,182 |
| 2002 | Paul McKechnie | Scotland | 32,236 |
References
- ↑ "About the PGA Europro Tour". The Professional Golfers' Association. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "OWGR Board Announce Inclusion of New Tours". OWGR. 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "EuroPro Prize Funds Increased To £50,000". PGA EuroPro Tour. PGA EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ "Matchroom Sport Tour Championship Prize Fund Set At £90,000". PGA EuroPro Tour. PGA EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ↑ http://www.matchroomsport.com/articleDetail.asp?intArticleID=228
- ↑ http://www.europrotour.com/news/pga_europro_tour_extends_sky_sports.htm
- ↑ "About Us". PGA EuroPro Tour. PGA EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 10 January 2017.