PGA Tour Canada
Current season, competition or edition: 2016 PGA Tour Canada | |
| Formerly |
Peter Jackson Golf Tour (1970–1985) Canadian Professional Golf Tour (1986–2012) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Golf |
| Founded | 1970 |
| President | Jeffery R. Monday |
| Country | Canada |
| TV partner(s) | Formerly broadcast on the Golf Channel and can now be seen in the form of a 30 minute highlight show that airs on both Global TV (Canada) and TSN2 during the season. A total of 11 shows aired in 2013. |
| Official website | pgatourcanada.com |
PGA Tour Canada is a men's professional golf tour headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. It was formally started in 1970 and was initially known as the Peter Jackson Tour, and became the Canadian Professional Golf Tour in 1986. The U.S. PGA Tour took over operation of the tour on November 1, 2012, at which time it was renamed PGA Tour Canada.[1] Historically, it has been commonly known as the Canadian Tour.
History
In 1970, Imperial Tobacco Canada, under the Peter Jackson brand, signed on as title sponsor and brought scattered Canadian professional events under one umbrella. The Peter Jackson Tour hosted a series of seven or eight tournaments each season with each purse eventually averaging $25,000. The Tour developed predominantly Canadian touring pros but also warmly welcomed players from around the world. Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Dave Barr and Dan Halldorson – both two-time PGA Tour winners – competed on the circuit in the 1970s and made several appearances once they were established on the big tour. Fellow Canadians and PGA Tour winners Al Balding and George Knudson also returned home several times in their career to play the circuit.
As the 1970s continued, government legislation began restricting the amount of advertising and sponsorship that tobacco companies were allowed to participate in. In 1978, anticipating future legislation that would ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship in Canada, Imperial Tobacco withdrew its title sponsorship of the circuit. Several tournaments disappeared and although a few carried on, there was no longer any cohesion to the circuit. However, in 1982, Canadian touring pros formed the Tournament Players Division (TPD) within the Canadian Professional Golfers Association (CPGA) and proposed a reorganized circuit under the guidance of Ken Tarling.
In 1985, TPD members selected touring pro Bob Beauchemin as president with the mandate to "build, promote and conduct tournaments of the Canadian Tour to develop Canadian professional golfers to a world-class level." The reborn circuit began play in 1985 and had six events. Nevertheless, the Tour was still linked with the CPGA (PGA of Canada). In January 1986, Beauchemin convinced the CPGA's Board of Directors to grant the TPD status within the CPGA and to be responsible for its own funding.
The next step involved organizing tournaments in such a way as to maximize the benefit for the players. At the time, most tournaments were 36- or 54-hole events and several were pro-am formats. To prepare players for the PGA Tour, they set a goal for all tournaments to be 72 holes with no pro-ams during the actual competition. Prize money, exemptions and draws would need to mimic the format used on the PGA Tour and European Tour. Although it took until 1989 for all tournaments to play 72 holes, the Canadian Tour began attracting players from not only the United States, but from around the world in the mid-1980s.
The Canadian Tour has sent many players on to PGA Tour success. Canadian Mike Weir, the winner of eight PGA Tour titles – including the 2003 Masters - earned Rookie of the Year honours on the Canadian Tour in 1993. In 1997, Weir captured the 1997 Canadian Masters and BC Tel Pacific Open as well as the Order of Merit. He first qualified for the PGA Tour in 1998. Other PGA Tour winners who played the Canadian Tour include 2005 U.S. Open winner Michael Campbell, 2004 British Open winner Todd Hamilton, Steve Stricker, Stuart Appleby, Peter Lonard, Scott McCarron, Tim Herron, Chris DiMarco, Nick Watney, Stephen Ames, Paul Casey, Arron Oberholser, D. A. Points, Ken Duke, and 2008 RBC Canadian Open winner Chez Reavie.
PGA Tour Canada graduates who have won on the Web.com Tour and played the PGA Tour include Scott Dunlap, Jon Mills, Omar Uresti, Erik Compton, and Jeff Quinney.
Players from all over the globe continue to apprentice on PGA Tour Canada. Though the tour is North American-based, Asians, Europeans, and Latin Americans are using PGA Tour Canada as their North American springboard.
The former Canadian Tour became an associate member of what was at the time the trade body of the world's main men's tours, the International Federation of PGA Tours, in 2000. In 2009, it became a full member when the Federation expanded to include all of the main women's tours. It is one of a number of lower-level tours at which Official World Golf Ranking points are available, with a minimum of six given to the winner and points to the top six plus ties.
The Canadian Open, which is the richest golf event in Canada, is a PGA Tour event. The top three from the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit the week before the Canadian Open are given entry. The prize money does not count toward Order of Merit earnings.
PGA Tour Canada offices are at Golf House in Oakville, Ontario, on the grounds of the Glen Abbey Golf Course. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course has hosted more than 20 Canadian Opens since 1977.
In 2011, the Canadian Tour made history when Isabelle Beisiegel became the first woman to earn a Tour card on a men's professional golf tour.[2]
In October 2012, the PGA Tour acquired the Canadian Tour, renaming it PGA Tour Canada effective November 1, 2012, for first use in the 2013 season. Under the new system, the top five players on the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit earn Web.com Tour cards, with the money leader fully exempt and those 2nd-5th conditionally exempt. Players ranked 2nd through 10th are exempt through to the finals of qualifying school and those who finish 11th–20th are admitted to the second stage. The re-tooled tour offered at least eight tournaments per season, with total purses of about $150,000 apiece.[1][3] For 2015, the purses were increased to $175,000 for the first eleven events. Those who finish in the Top 60 earn entry into season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship, with a $200,000 purse and are guaranteed at minimum full PGA Tour Canada status for the next season.
Like many smaller tours, PGA Tour Canada has its own series of qualifying schools at various sites. The medalist at each site is fully exempt for the season. Those in the top 16 (not including ties) are exempt through the first four events, when a reshuffle occurs. In the event of a tie, a playoff determines the final exempt position. Those in the top 40 including ties are conditionally exempt.[4]
In 2015, Mackenzie Investments became the tour's umbrella sponsor. For the next six years, the tour was named Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada.[5]
2016 schedule
Order of Merit winners
This list is incomplete.
| Year | Winner | Country | Earnings (C$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dan McCarthy |  United States | 157,843 |
| 2015 | J. J. Spaun | United States | 91,193 |
| 2014 | Joel Dahmen | United States | 80,992 |
| 2013 | Mackenzie Hughes |  Canada | 52,114 |
| 2012 | Matt Hill | Canada | 48,273 |
| 2011 | José de Jesús Rodríguez |  Mexico | 80,228 |
| 2010 | Aaron Goldberg | United States | 156,119 |
| 2009 | Graham DeLaet | Canada | 94,579 |
| 2008 | John Ellis | United States | 113,315 |
| 2007 | Byron Smith | United States | 91,202 |
| 2006 | Stephen Gangluff | United States | 67,336 |
| 2005 | Michael Harris | United States | 95,622 |
| 2004 | Erik Compton | United States | 85,876 |
| 2003 | Jon Mills | Canada | 55,321 |
| 2002 | Hank Kuehne | United States | 105,959 |
| 2001 | Aaron Barber | United States | 75,337 |
| 2000 | Steven Alker |  New Zealand | 93,617 |
| 1999 | Ken Duke | United States | 122,188 |
Records
- Lowest winning total score – 256 (–28) Brian Unk, 2009 Seaforth Country Classic, Seaforth Golf Club, Seaforth, Ontario.
- Lowest 18-hole score – 58 (–13) Jason Bohn, 2001 Bayer Championship, Huron Oaks Golf Club, Sarnia, Ontario.
- Longest playoff – 11 holes Lee Chill defeated Chris DiMarco in the 1992 Willows Classic.
- Largest playoff – 6 players (Steve Scott defeated Roger Tambellini, Jess Daley, Steven Alker, Mark Slawter, and Scott Hend). Scott won on 6th playoff hole.
- Largest winning margin – 11 strokes Arron Oberholser in the 1999 Ontario Open Heritage Classic.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Canadian Tour to convert to PGA Tour Canada" (Press release). PGA Tour. October 18, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ↑ "Isabelle Beisiegel earns men's tour card". ESPN. Associated Press. May 27, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
- ↑ "PGA Tour acquires Canadian Tour". Yahoo Sports. Associated Press. October 18, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
- ↑ "Who Earned Status?". PGA Tour. March 27, 2016.
- ↑ "Mackenzie Investments becomes umbrella sponsor of PGA Tour Canada". PGA Tour. May 27, 2015.