European Tour Pitches Tent Down Under
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I'm sure you've all gone back to relive my Golf World Monday item suggesting that the PGA Tour get over its emerging market obsession and jump on established markets like Australia where the fans love their golf and Aussie events make for great (and highly rated) prime time fall U.S. viewing.
Seems the European Tour already had this figured out and will be setting up shop in Perth starting in 2012, with a purse big enough to perhaps lure the Euro Tour's finest.
The event was unveiled today as an exciting new addition to the local tournament schedule and will be staged at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth from October 18-21, 2012. The US$2 million tournament is to be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour which raises the prospect of Europe's finest teeing up.
Northern Ireland's drawcard McIlroy and Englishman Westwood are committed to 15-event schedules on the US-based PGA Tour next year, which will make grabbing their signatures that bit tougher. But such marquee names would establish the tournament with a bang. Western Australian Tourism Minister Dr Kim Hames said the tournament's aim was to attract some of the world's top golfers.
"Perth has a strong history of hosting successful international golf events, notably the Heineken Classic, Johnnie Walker Classic and the Lexus Cup, and this tournament will well and truly put the city back on the golfing map," Dr Hames said today in Perth.
International Management Group (IMG) is owner and promoter of the new tournament and will put its clout behind attracting a top field.
And collecting lots of fees!
