Munich/Ain Sokhna (Egypt) − The competition year starts on 19 January 2016 with the Red Sea Egyptian Classic in Ain Sokhna, Egypt. The season final is scheduled from 26 to 28 September at the Castanea Golf Resort in Adendorf. Besides Egypt and Germany, this year Morocco, Austria and Poland are host countries to the tour that distributes total prize money of EUR 560,000.

“We’re really happy to have strong partners by our side again and to be able to present a lot of well-established and some extremely attractive new venues,” says Rainer Goldrian, Managing Director of the Pro Golf Tour. Just like last year the professionals are starting the new season with two events in Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea: they’re competing at the Red Sea Egyptian Classic from 19 to 21 January and at the Red Sea Ain Sokhna Classic with the excellent 27-hole course at the Sokhna Golf Club in the coastal town of Ain Sokhna from 25 to 27 January. “Looking back at 2015 makes it very clear how important it is to get off to a good start to the season straight away,” says Goldrian. “Last year Reinier Saxton and Philipp Mejow won the two opening tournaments in Egypt; both of them were successfully promoted to the Challenge Tour at the end of the year."

The Pro Golf Tour 2016 winter series continues in Morocco, where there are six tournaments in total on the agenda this year; the first three are newcomers on the calendar. For example, players are competing at the Open Ocean for the first time on the course at Golf de L’Ocean in Agadir, where the Ladies European Tour, among others, was a guest in 2015. The Open Tazegzout premiere in Taghazout Bay Resort just a few kilometres north of Agadir is from 11 to 13 February. Breathtaking views over the Atlantic and spectacular holes also promise an excellent tournament experience here. The third new entry in the Pro Golf Tour portfolio is the “Open The Tony Jacklin” on The Tony Jacklin Casablanca course at Bouskura Golf City in Casablanca. It’s all about the prize money and prestige on the course designed by the former world-class golfer Tony Jacklin from 6 to 8 March. The well-known Open Casa Green Golf from 2015 also takes place in Casablanca straight afterwards; the defending champion there from 10 to 12 March is German Nicolas Meitinger. The Open Madaef, scheduled in El Jadida from 10 to 12 April 2016, was won by the Frenchman Matthieu Decottignies Lafon in 2015, the defending champion at the Open Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia (14 to 16 April) is the Englishman Ben Parker.

Coming back to Central Europe

Mid-May the Pro Golf Tour finally returns to Central Europe and the players encounter challenging golf courses surrounded by picturesque Austrian mountain scenery at the Haugschlag NÖ Open (18 to 20 May), Adamstal Open (23 to 25 May) and St. Pölten Pro Golf Tour (28 to 30 May). The defending champions are the Swissman Benjamin Rusch, Olivier Rozner from France and the Dutchman Reinier Saxton. In the second half of the season it’s all about more ranking list points on well-established courses in Germany as well as at the LOTOS Polish Open in Poland (25 to 27 July). EUR 30,000 prize money and just as many points are given out each time at the CEEVEE Leather Open at GC Glashofen-Neusaß (12 to 14 June), KOSAIDO Düsseldorf Open (7 to 9 July), Sparkassen Open in Bochum (14 to 16 July), Gut Bissenmoor Classic in Bad Bramstedt (4 to 6 August) and for the Hardenberg GolfResort prize in Northeim (21 to 23 August).

It’s also all about the prize money of EUR 50,000 and just as many points for the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit at the season final, the Castanea Resort Pro Golf Tour Championship 2016 in Adendorf. The course is going to be the venue for the season’s last Order of Merit tournament for the second time in a row from 26 to 28 September, after which it will also be established which five players are at the top of the ranking list and therefore manage promotion to the European Challenge Tour 2017. Last year Benjamin Rusch won the tournament here and therefore perfectly positioned himself second in the overall ranking.

Anyone who wants to play on the Pro Golf Tour in the 2017 season and have a definite starting place at all tournaments then competes at the Pro Golf Tour Qualifying School from 11 to 14 October 2016, which is being held at the Golf Club Paderborner Land and concludes the 2016 tournament year. You can find the entire Pro Golf Tour 2016 tournament calendar at www.progolftour.de.

ProAm experience

Spectators are very welcome at all Pro Golf Tour tournaments, admission is always free. Tip: Anyone who wants to experience the atmosphere of a professional tournament up-close for the first time, also has the opportunity, besides spectating, to take part in a Pro Golf Tour ProAm tournament. ProAm starting places are available at eight Pro Golf Tour 2016 tournaments in total in Austria and Germany; participation costs EUR 297.50 per person including supporting programme. To obtain more information and book a ProAm starting place please contact Mark Rothballer at rothballer@progolftour.de.