PGA TOUR Comes To The Aid Of The Canadian Tour

In a joint statement released Wednesday the Canadian Tour announced it has entered into an agreement with the PGA TOUR that will see the preeminent brand in golf lend support to the 40 year-old Canadian Professional Golf Tour.

Official Announcement

Building on a relationship that has been developing for a number of years, in addition to an operating loan, the PGA TOUR will be assisting the Canadian Tour in 2012 in the areas of tournament development and sponsorship. More direct involvement by the PGA TOUR beyond 2012 will depend on a joint evaluation by the PGA TOUR and Canadian Tour over the coming year.

"As a result of discussions with the Canadian Tour and understanding its current financial issues, the PGA TOUR has agreed to lend support to the Canadian Tour in 2012. Our goal is to help lend stability to the Canadian Tour, which we believe plays an important role in professional golf and has proven to be a valuable system for developing players over the years," stated Ed Moorhouse, Co-Chief Operating Officer of the PGA TOUR. "We will assess the situation with the Canadian Tour during the course of the coming year to determine what level of PGA TOUR support should be provided moving forward," added Moorhouse.


The PGA TOUR relationship dates back to 2001 when the PGA TOUR began extending invitations to the top two players from the Canadian Tour money list into the second stage of PGA TOUR Qualifying School. That relationship was highlighted again in 2007 when the Canadian Tour mounted a cross-Canada campaign for the PGA TOUR to help promote The Presidents Cup in Montreal. Canadian Tour Commissioner Rick Janes has been a member of The Presidents Cup Committee since 2005. In 2009 the Canadian Tour became a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours and started collaborating with the PGA TOUR on a number of initiatives including an anti-doping policy.


"For the Canadian Tour this is an opportunity in work clothes," stated Canadian Tour Commissioner Rick Janes. "Whether this leads to more direct involvement by the PGA TOUR beyond 2012 will depend on a number of factors including our ability to strengthen and grow the Canadian Tour across Canada from coast-to-coast. In the meantime, it is a great opportunity to work with the preeminent brand in golf and we can only benefit from that experience."


Following the conclusion of the 2012 season the PGA TOUR will have the option to continue its support of the Canadian Tour into 2013 and beyond. The 2012 season will be a year in which the Canadian Tour and PGA TOUR work together to evaluate its operations and marketing activities to determine the best structure for the Canadian Tour moving forward.


About the Canadian Tour 

Since its inception as the Peter Jackson Tour in 1971, the Canadian Tour has evolved into a high-caliber, coast-to-coast training ground for professionals on their way to the PGA TOUR, including Steve Stricker, Tim Clark, Mike Weir, and recent PGA TOUR winners D.A. Points and Brendan Steele. Its alumni includes not only the game's Canadian legends, but also many of its most prominent international names, who collectively have won more than 100 PGA TOUR titles and close to $450 million in prize money.