PGA European Tour organizes and operates three competitions: European Tour, European Seniors Tour (over 50 years old), and Challenge circuit under development. The PGA European Tour is located in Virginia Water, England. Introduction to the event The European Tour was originally organized by the British Federation of Professional Golfers, but in 1984 the rights were transferred to the PGA European Tour organization. Most of the European Tour tournaments are in Europe, and in recent years many tournaments have been placed all over the world except the United States. The European Tour and the PGA Tour cooperate to host the Ryder Cup. Season composition Starting in 2000, European Tour matches will be counted from the end of the previous year, and all matches will be held until March. Co-organized outside Europe. The competition that started in March moved to continental Europe. The annual competition does not change much, and occasionally the venue of the competition changes a little. Beginning in 2009, the "Advance to Dubai" series (competing with the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup), the year-end prize money of 7.5 million was distributed among the top 15 players. The Dubai World Championships also start in November each year. Status and bonuses The position of the European Tour is the most important besides the PGA Tour. Many non-European players used to play on the European Tour first and then jumped to the PGA Tour. However, nowadays, because American universities provide golf bonuses, these players now go directly to the PGA Tour to play. In the 1970s, when European stars appeared, such as seve ballesteros, especially when they took the lead in the Ryder Cup in the 1980s, people began to express optimism about the future of the European Tour. There are many outstanding players in the Nordic countries. Especially in the years from 1995 to 2006, Europe won the Ryder Cup four times, while the United States won only one time. The 2008 Ryder Cup was held in the United States. Before the game, it was generally believed that American players were still at a disadvantage and the Tigers could not play due to injury. However, due to the excellent organizational ability of the American Captain, coupled with the local combat, the popularity skyrocketed, and the European players did not perform well, the American team finally avenged the victory and won. In 2005, the PGA Tour’s total prize money was 250 million, and the European Tour’s prize was 150 million . However, 7 events with 50 million prizes were co-hosted by both parties (4 Grand Slams, and 3 WGC tournaments). In addition to the Grand Slam and WGC competitions, the European Tour and other organizations co-organized the prize money of about one million euros, and the competitions held by themselves are about 3-4 million euros. The latter part of the game can basically be equal to the regular game of the PGA Tour. Starting in 2005, the HSBC Bank Championship co-organized with China, the current prize money has risen to 7 million US dollars, starting in 2009, it can be regarded as a WGC competition. The European Tour’s money list is called order of merit, and it was renamed Race to Dubai after 2009. The Dubai World Championships becomes the last game of the season and is held in November each year. |