The PGA Tour is about to welcome the Canadian Tour under its umbrella.
In December of 2011, the Canadian Tour and the U.S.-based PGA Tour entered into a one-year working agreement. At that time, the PGA gave the Canadian Tour a revolving line of credit and some resources for marketing and sponsorship. Even with that help, the Canadian Tour had trouble making ends meat, thanks mainly to the expiration of a 10-year agreement with The Golf Channel in 2010.
Both tours evaluated the 2012 season and it is expected today that the PGA will be taking over the operations of the Canadian Tour. The Canadian Tour, which is home to the Times Colonist Island Savings Open, will likely become a feeder system for the Web.com Tour (previously called Nationwide), which leads directly to the PGA.
Jeff Monday, senior vice-president of tournament development for the PGA Tour, was at all the Canadian events this season, evaluating the tour.
The Canadian Tour's relationship with the PGA dates back to 2001 when the top two players from the Canadian Tour's money list went into the second stage of PGA Qualifying School.
Matt Hill from Sarnia, Ont., and Michael Gligic from Burlington, Ont., earned those spots this year, just edging out Cory Renfrew of Victoria. The Q-schools are also expected to be dropped after this year, making the Web.com Tour the only route to the PGA.
"It would definitely be good for this tour [to join the PGA] and the development for all players," Hill said recently in a release. "Obviously, if you have the PGA Tour name in there, it makes it easier and more beneficial to get sponsorships.''
