PGA EuroPro Tour

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PGA EuroPro Tour
PGA EuroPro Tour logo.png
FormerlyGolfcatcher PGA EuroPro Tour
HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour
888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour
Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour
Matchroom Sport PGA EuroPro Tour
Sport Golf
Founded2002
Founder Barry Hearn
First season2002
Ceased2022
CEO Daniel Godding
Director Eddie Hearn
CountriesBased in the United Kingdom [a]
Most titlesTournament wins:
Flag of England.svg Billy Hemstock (6)
Broadcasters Sky Sports
DAZN
Eleven Sports
Fox Australia
Official website http://www.europrotour.com/

The PGA EuroPro Tour was 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] as the Professional Golfers' Association and Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport joined forces. [2]

Contents

The PGA EuroPro Tour provided professional golfers with an entry point to a career in tournament golf. The top five finishers on the Order of Merit won a tour card for the following season on Europe's second-tier golf tour, the Challenge Tour, and a place at the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School. Since July 2015, Official World Golf Ranking points were awarded, with four points given to the winner of a tournament. [3]

The tour was based mainly in the United Kingdom, with a few events in other countries. Most of the players were British, with others coming from the Republic of Ireland, Continental Europe and farther afield. In 2020, the total prize money was due to rise to €1 million. [4] However the season was eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [5]

Prize funds were around £50,000 each. The winner's share was £12,500. [6] The Tour Championship has a £127,500 prize fund with £25,000 going to the winner.

In September 2022, the tour announced that it would cease operating at the end of the 2022 season. [7] [8]

Television coverage

The tour was covered on television with a highlights package of each tournament shown on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. The tour had also agreed to various broadcast deals with international partners such as DAZN, Fox Sports Australia and Sky NZ. [9]

Alumni

PGA EuroPro Tour alumni include major champions Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, and European Ryder Cup players Nicolas Colsaerts, Jamie Donaldson, Ross Fisher, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton and Oliver Wilson. [10]

Order of Merit winners

YearWinnerPrize money (£)
2022 Flag of England.svg James Allan 60,091
2021 Flag of England.svg Jamie Rutherford 41,322
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Flag of Sweden.svg Mikael Lundberg 37,455
2018 Flag of England.svg Dave Coupland 42,895
2017 Flag of England.svg Chris Lloyd 37,695
2016 Flag of England.svg Matthew Cort 33,920
2015 Flag of England.svg Jordan Smith 32,984
2014 Flag of Scotland.svg Elliot Saltman 27,991
2013 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Oliver Farr 33,495
2012 Flag of England.svg Paul Maddy 32,822
2011 Flag of England.svg Chris Hanson 37,930
2010 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Daniel Gaunt 24,700
2009 Flag of Scotland.svg Scott Jamieson 23,492
2008 Flag of Ireland.svg Noel Fox 26,897
2007 Flag of England.svg Graeme Clark 43,689
2006 Flag of England.svg Kevin Harper 29,259
2005 Flag of England.svg Mark Smith 54,878
2004 Flag of England.svg Simon Lilly 37,047
2003 Flag of England.svg Tom Whitehouse 34,182
2002 Flag of Scotland.svg Paul McKechnie 32,236

Notes

  1. Schedules also included events in Cyprus, Egypt, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Portugal and Spain.

References

  1. "About the PGA Europro Tour". The Professional Golfers' Association. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  2. "Brady's confidence high on the Europro Tour" . Irish Independent. 24 June 2002. p. Golfer 3. Retrieved 7 August 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "OWGR Board Announce Inclusion of New Tours". Official World Golf Ranking. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2023. Each Tour will enter the OWGR system with a minimum level of 4 first place points for 54 hole tournaments and 6 first place points for 72 hole tournaments. Inclusion will commence with the tournaments to be played during OWGR Week 30 – Week ending Sunday 26th July 2015.
  4. "The UK's biggest Tour is back with bigger prize funds". PGA EuroPro Tour. 2 July 2020. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  5. Roberts, Andy (17 March 2020). "PGA EuroPro Tour cancels its entire season due to coronavirus". GolfMagic. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  6. "2021 PGA EuroPro Tour". PGA EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  7. "PGA EuroPro Tour Final Season". PGA EuroPro Tour. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  8. Cooper, George (28 September 2022). "PGA EuroPro Tour to fold after more than two decades". National Club Golfer. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  9. "PGA EuroPro Tour partners with DAZN to add to huge TV output". PGA EuroPro Tour. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  10. "Hall of Fame". PGA EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 22 October 2019.