PGA EuroPro Tour
Current season, competition or edition: 2021 PGA EuroPro Tour | |
 | |
| Sport | Golf |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Barry Hearn |
| CEO | Daniel Godding |
| Director | Eddie Hearn |
| Countries | Based in the United Kingdom |
| Most recent champion(s) | Mikael Lundberg |
| TV partner(s) | Sky Sports DAZN Eleven Sports Fox Australia |
| Related competitions | Challenge Tour, European Tour |
| 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] as the Professional Golfers' Association and Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport joined forces.[2]
The PGA EuroPro Tour provides professional golfers with an entry point to a career in tournament golf. 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 a place at the Stage Two of the European Tour Qualifying School. Since July 2015, Official World Golf Ranking points have been awarded, with four points given to the winner of a tournament.[3]
The tour 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 and farther afield. In 2020, the total prize money rose to €1 million. [4] Each event has a prize fund of £52,500. The winner's prize is set at £12,500. [5] The Tour Championship has a £127,500 prize fund with £25,000 going to the winner [6]
Television coverage
The tour is covered on television with a two-hour highlights package of each tournament shown on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. The PGA EuroPro Tour has agreed to various new broadcast deals with international partners since 2016 and the tour is now seen in 127 countries on networks such as DAZN, Fox Sports Australia and Sky NZ. [7]
Order of Merit winners
| Year | Player | Country | Earnings (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[8] | ||
| 2019 | Mikael Lundberg |  Sweden |
37,455 |
| 2018 | Dave Coupland |  England |
42,895 |
| 2017 | Chris Lloyd | England |
37,695 |
| 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 |
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.[9]
References
- ^ "About the PGA Europro Tour". The Professional Golfers' Association. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- ^ "Brady's confidence high on the Europro Tour". Irish Independent. 24 June 2002. p. Golfer 3. Retrieved 7 August 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "OWGR Board Announce Inclusion of New Tours". OWGR. 15 July 2015.
- ^ http://www.europrotour.com/europro-tour-news/uks-biggest-tour-back-with-bigger-prize-funds/
- ^ https://europro.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/europro21/schedule/index.htm
- ^ https://europro.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/europro21/schedule/index.htm
- ^ "PGA EuroPro Tour partners with DAZN to add to huge TV output". PGA EuroPro Tour. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ Roberts, Andy (17 March 2020). "PGA EuroPro Tour cancels its entire season due to coronavirus". GolfMagic. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 2019-10-22.