SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The PGA Tour is ready to tee-off in Latin America.
[captionpix imgsrc=”https://thecostaricanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1445924.jpg” align=”left” captiontext=”The PGA TOUR Latinoamérica is set to tee-off in September 2012 and run for four months. Next year, officials hope to expand the tour by at least three events.”]The golf organization announced the creation of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, a new professional tour in the southern hemisphere consisting of 11 events across seven Latin American nations. The league will provide Latin American golfers with a pipeline to the Nationwide Tour, one step below the PGA, where players can hone their skills while they try to earn their tour cards.
“This is an opportunity to help in the further development of elite players across the region,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem told reporters. “The timing is right, with South America hosting its first ever Olympic Games, which includes golf’s return to the competition for the first time in more than 100 years. The Latin American market has already produced several PGA TOUR stars, and one of our goals for this tour is to help develop the Latin American stars of the future.”
The PGA TOUR Latinoamérica is set to tee-off in September 2012 and run for four months. Next year, officials hope to expand the tour by at least three events. Finchem was sure to thank executives with the PGA TOUR, Tour de Las Américas, National Golf Federations and other Latin American clubs as the tour will take players through Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru.
The events will be 72-hole competitions and the tour’s top money winners will be invited to compete on the nationwide circuit. Each tournament will have a minimum US$100,000 purse with hopes to increase the pots as the tour expands.
[captionpix imgsrc=”https://thecostaricanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Business+Fort+plc+English+PGA+Championship+NWbIRS9nc4Xl.jpg” align=”right” captiontext=”The collaborative effort among the leaders of the various national federations in the region and the PGA TOUR was an important step in cementing PGA TOUR Latinoamérica as the future of professional golf in the region, Mark Lawrie, executive director of the Argentine Golf Federation, told reporters.”]“The collaborative effort among the leaders of the various national federations in the region and the PGA TOUR was an important step in cementing PGA TOUR Latinoamérica as the future of professional golf in the region,” Mark Lawrie, executive director of the Argentine Golf Federation, told reporters.
The move to expand to Latin America comes as little surprise as the game of golf continues to explode. The PGA, Champions and Nationwide tours play tournaments in 12 different countries and are broadcast in nearly 500 million households across 224 countries in 29 different languages.
This year on the PGA Tour, Jhonattan Vegas, a native of Maturín, Venezuela, sparked interest in the tour in South America when he claimed the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, Calif., in January. Vegas has five top-25 finishes this year and has already made more than US$1.85 million this season.
And with the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica ready to launch, more Latin American golfers will have the chance to follow in Vegas’ footsteps.
“Over the past decade, professional golf in Latin America has been served dutifully by many key partners in the region,” Finchem told reporters. “The national federations, promoters and private clubs of Mexico, South America and the Caribbean who have carried the torch for golf in the region will now work in collaboration under the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica banner to take the next step for player development in the region.”
By Dave Carey and Ezra Feiser – Infosurhoy.comSANTO DOMINGO, República Dominicana – El PGA Tour está listo para debutar en Latinoamérica.
[captionpix imgsrc=”https://thecostaricanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1445924.jpg” align=”left” captiontext=”The PGA TOUR Latinoamérica is set to tee-off in September 2012 and run for four months. Next year, officials hope to expand the tour by at least three events.”]La organización de golf anunció la creación de PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, un nuevo tour profesional en el hemisferio sur, compuesto de 11 eventos en siete países latinoamericanos. La liga proporcionará a los jugadores de golf latinoamericanos un vehículo para llegar al Nationwide Tour, un paso por debajo de la PGA, donde los jugadores pueden afinar sus aptitudes a la vez que intentan ganar sus tarjetas del tour.
“Ésta es una oportunidad de ayudar en el mayor desarrollo de los jugadores de élite en la región”, comentó el comisario del PGA Tour, Tim Finchem. “El momento es adecuado, puesto que Sudamérica va a celebrar sus primeros Juegos Olímpicos, lo cual incluye el regreso del golf a la competición por primera vez en más de 100 años. El mercado latinoamericano ya ha producido varias estrellas del PGA TOUR, y uno de nuestros objetivos para este tour es desarrollar a las estrellas latinoamericanas del futuro”.
El PGA TOUR Latinoamérica comenzará en septiembre de 2012 y durará cuatro meses. El próximo año, los organizadores esperan extender el tour por al menos tres eventos. Finchem agradeció a los ejecutivos del PGA TOUR, del Tour de Las Américas, de las Federaciones Nacionales de Golf y a otros clubes latinoamericanos puesto que el tour llevará a los jugadores por México, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brasil, Argentina, Chile y Perú.
Los eventos consistirán en competiciones de 72 hoyos y los principales ganadores del tour serán invitados a competir en el circuito nacional. Cada torneo tendrá un monto mínimo de premios de US$100 mil, el cual posiblemente aumente a medida que se expanda el tour.
[captionpix imgsrc=”https://thecostaricanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Business+Fort+plc+English+PGA+Championship+NWbIRS9nc4Xl.jpg” align=”right” captiontext=”The collaborative effort among the leaders of the various national federations in the region and the PGA TOUR was an important step in cementing PGA TOUR Latinoamérica as the future of professional golf in the region, Mark Lawrie, executive director of the Argentine Golf Federation, told reporters.”]“La colaboración de los líderes de las diversas federaciones nacionales de la región y PGA TOUR ha sido un paso importante para cimentar PGA TOUR Latinoamérica como el futuro del golf profesional en la región”, comentó el director ejecutivo de la Federación de Golf Argentina, Mark Lawrie.
La iniciativa de expansión a Latinoamérica no es ninguna sorpresa, puesto que el golf continúa en su apogeo. La PGA, los tours de Campeones y de Naciones juegan torneos en 12 países diferentes y se transmiten a casi 500 millones de hogares en 224 países y en 29 idiomas diferentes.
Este año, en el PGA Tour, Jhonattan Vegas, oriundo de Maturín, Venezuela, despertó interés en el tour en Sudamérica al ganar el Humana Challenge en La Quinta, California, en enero. Vegas ha acabado cinco veces entre los 25 mejores este año y ya ha ganado más de US$1,85 millones esta temporada.
“En la última década, el golf profesional en Latinoamérica ha recibido gran apoyo de muchos socios cruciales en la región”, declaró Finchem. “Las federaciones nacionales, promotores y clubes privados de México, Sudamérica y el Caribe colaborarán con el nombre de PGA TOUR Latinoamérica para dar el siguiente paso hacia el desarrollo de jugadores en la zona”.
Por Dave Carey y Ezra Feiser – Infosurhoy.com