Munich – An early start to the tour on excellent courses in the sunny South, return to Central Europe to tried and tested venues at the end of April and the highly anticipated premiere of several top-class newcomers: The Pro Golf Tour 2017 season promises plenty of sporting highlights. As in the last two years, the Pro Golf Tour began the new tournament season at the Sokhna Golf Club in Egypt. The Frenchman Kenny Subregis won at the Red Sea Egyptian Classic and celebrated the first tour victory of his career by the Red Sea, the Englishman Ben Parker won the Red Sea Ain Sokhna Classic. In February and March six tournaments in total follow in Morocco where the Pro Golf Tour and Moroccan Association du Trophée Hassan II de Golf celebrate a partnership with tradition: the tour has been a guest in the westernmost region of Maghreb since 2010. Magnificent golf courses, guaranteed sun and the constantly breathtaking scenery of the mountains and sea provide the perfect conditions for professional golf tournaments.

“We are proud of being able to offer a highly attractive tournament calendar once again,” says Rainer Goldrian, Pro Golf Tour Managing Director. “The early start in Egypt and Morocco guarantees game practice on excellent courses in good weather conditions and the high quality of the host club’s golf courses will of course also be continued at the tournaments in Central Europe.”

At the end of April, the players are adjourning to Austria for the first time this year for the Haugschlag NÖ Open, the Ypsilon Cup by CzechOne is on the programme in Czech Republic at the start of May. With the Raiffeisen Pro Golf Tour St. Pölten 2017 presented by Diners Club & NOYAN Golftravel in Neidling and the Adamstal Open 2017 powered by EURAM Bank AG in Ramsau, the merry month of May has two other traditional tournaments in Austria in store. The second Czech event, the premiere of the Austerlitz Classic in June, is followed by the first tournament on German soil: the Sparkassen Open 2017 welcomes the players to Bochum from 6 to 8 July.

Starnberg Open: home game for the Pro Golf Tour

The fact that the Pro Golf Tour is gaining more and more appeal in our neighbouring country of Austria, is proved not least by the Zell am See – Kaprun Open presented by Salzburger Land which graces the tour calendar for the first time in mid-July and is the fourth tournament of the 2017 season in the Alpine Republic. Besides the classic tournaments like the Preis of the Hardenberg GolfResort in Northeim, Sierra Polish Open in Poland and the Gut Bissenmoor Classic north of Hamburg, there is one more top-class newcomer on the new competition calendar: the Pro Golf Tour is a guest on the course at the Starnberg GC in Bavaria for the first time in its history from 16 to 18 August: the Starnberg Open 2017 therefore marks a kind of home game for the Pro Golf Tour based in Munich.

At the start of September the tour players finally compete at the Wroclaw Open in Poland, before the grand tour finale is on the programme with the Castanea Resort Championship 2017 in Adendorf from 25 to 27 September. While all the other events are endowed with prize money of 30,000 euro, the battle is then on for the record winnings of 50,000 euro and just as many points for the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit. Thus ensuring that sporting thrills are guaranteed until the very last putt, as it is only definite which players will take the top rankings in the final Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit, which guarantee promotion to the Challenge Tour 2018, after the last putt.

Qualifying School

The final item on the Pro Golf Tour 2017 tournament year agenda is the Qualifying School, which takes place from 10 to 13 October at the Paderborner Land GC and decides who will be allowed to at all the Pro Golf Tour tournaments in 2018 and gain valuable experience and points. As that is namely the whole point of the Pro Golf Tour: the perfect stepping stone to a successful tour player’s career. The German Florian Fritsch, who won the Pro Golf Tour 2013 Order of Merit and has in the meantime established himself on the European Tour, says: “To play consistently in higher tours you have to give yourself the time to mature by playing in lots of tournaments. This is exactly the opportunity that the Pro Golf Tour offers.” An experience which is corroborated by the current situation: Six of the seven German European Tour 2017 members once started their golf career on the Pro Golf Tour. “We are proud to have been running an official feeder and satellite tour for the European Tour for twelve years now, which is appreciated by the players, where the quality of the sport is constantly increasing, which provides its members with professional organisation and excellent venues and establishes its best alumni at the top of professional golf in Europe too,” says Rainer Goldrian.

ProAm experience for amateurs

Anyone who wants to go on the hunt for a birdie side by side with a professional for once, has the opportunity to book a ProAm starting place at select Pro Golf Tour events. Host clubs can offer members, partners and sponsors a very special highlight with the ProAm. Participants tee off together with professional tour players during a ProAm tournament. As a result, you have the chance to watch professionals up close during an official tournament round and get tips in terms of course strategy, game tactics and technique. With ProAm a team consists of one professional and up to three amateurs. A ProAm starting place is also suitable as a wonderful gift: the Pro Golf Tour office will be happy to issue a gift voucher on request. Anyone interested can book a ProAm as a business event either independently or as part of the Pro Golf Tour.