PGA EuroPro Tour

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]

PGA EuroPro Tour
FormerlyGolfcatcher PGA EuroPro Tour
HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour
888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour
Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour
Matchroom Sport PGA EuroPro Tour
SportGolf
Founded2002
FounderBarry Hearn
Inaugural season2002
Ceased2022
CEODaniel Godding
DirectorEddie Hearn
CountriesBased in the United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1]
Most titlesTournament wins:
6: England Billy Hemstock
TV partner(s)Sky Sports
DAZN
Eleven Sports
Fox Australia
Official websitehttp://www.europrotour.com/

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] Prize funds were around £50,000 each. The winner's share was £12,500.[5] 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.[6][7]

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.[8]

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]

Order of Merit winners
YearWinnerPrize money (£)
2022England James Allan60,091
2021England Jamie Rutherford41,322
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[10]
2019Sweden Mikael Lundberg37,455
2018England Dave Coupland42,895
2017England Chris Lloyd37,695
2016England Matthew Cort33,920
2015England Jordan Smith32,984
2014Scotland Elliot Saltman27,991
2013Wales Oliver Farr33,495
2012England Paul Maddy32,822
2011England Chris Hanson37,930
2010Australia Daniel Gaunt24,700
2009Scotland Scott Jamieson23,492
2008Republic of Ireland Noel Fox26,897
2007England Graeme Clark43,689
2006England Kevin Harper29,259
2005England Mark Smith54,878
2004England Simon Lilly37,047
2003England Tom Whitehouse34,182
2002Scotland Paul McKechnie32,236

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". OWGR. 15 July 2015.
  4. "The UK's biggest Tour is back with bigger prize funds - europrotour".
  5. "2021 PGA EuroPro Tour". PGA EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  6. "PGA EuroPro Tour Final Season". PGA EuroPro Tour. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  7. Cooper, George (28 September 2022). "PGA EuroPro Tour to fold after more than two decades". National Club Golfer. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  8. "PGA EuroPro Tour partners with DAZN to add to huge TV output". PGA EuroPro Tour. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  9. "Hall of Fame". EuroPro Tour. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  10. Roberts, Andy (17 March 2020). "PGA EuroPro Tour cancels its entire season due to coronavirus". GolfMagic. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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