Since the 2011 season, all European Tour members have been required to undertake a minimum requirement of 13 European Tour tournaments in order to be included in the final Race to Dubai rankings and be eligible for membership the following season.
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Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The change to our minimum tournament requirement for the 2016 season recognises that many of our members are global players who, at the same time, wish to remain loyal to The European Tour”. Not only is this important for top-tier players who have relocated to the United States, but it is also critical for players on the fringes of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, who can not necessarily count on getting into all eight events between the majors and WGCs.
Starting with next season, which begins in two weeks in South Africa, players will only be required to play in five non-major, non-World Golf Championships events to maintain membership.
The WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai will no longer be a part of the Final Series, while the BMW Masters, also held in Shanghai, is no longer part of the European Tour schedule.
The support of the financial services company, which has an option for a further three-year renewal of the deal, will also see the event’s prize money fund rise to US$7 million.
“We need to raise prize purses to provide a viable alternative to the PGA to our elite, medium and low rank players”.
“That won’t happen overnight”.
“At this particular time, if you are a young player, and you have done very well in the European Tour, and you want to make the most money, you are going to go play in America”, he added.
“I’ve had a chance to talk to a number of players at all levels and one of the things that keeps coming up and we are going to address it, is slow play”.
“We are extremely proud of our association with the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the role we play in showcasing this special event to the world”, said Stephens. “I can not tell you what that means from a concrete perspective right now but they are in violent agreement that this is something that we need to deal with”.
“The Nedbank Golf Challenge has grown to become one of golf’s most recognisable events and a tournament the leading players in the world speak of with admiration”.
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Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of worldwide Policy for The European Tour, said: “We have enjoyed a superb relationship with the Sunshine Tour for many years and today’s significant announcement is another ideal example of that”.
