It’s the first day of November and in terms of Canadian golf, it’s “conversion” day.
The Canadian Golf Tour, effective today, is now known as PGA Tour Canada.
The alteration follows a lengthy period of examination of the Canadian operation by the PGA who observed every aspect of the Canadian Tour in 2012 before agreeing to assume control of the tour as of today.
What does this mean ?
A lot for both the present and future of the sport on a professional level in the country.
The initial plan for 2013 is to conduct at least 8 summer stops with a minimum purse of $ 150,000.
The belief is the number of stops could almost double in the short term based on Canadian participation and enjoyment of the sport.
The statistics show 21 percent of Canadians play golf, and a pro tour with heightened exposure riding the PGA brand has to be good news.
Furthermore for the aspiring Canadian professional it provides both a focal point to start a career or potentially a long term destination to establish a career.
Truthfully, the Canadian Pro Golf Tour has not enjoyed a high profile existence.
However, partnering with the PGA and having access to their marketing expertise make the PGA Tour Canada look like a vibrant entity going forward, effective today.
I’m Fred Wallace