PGA European Tour

The PGA European Tour, much more commonly referred to simply as the European Tour, is a top-level men's professional golf tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. It is the primary golf tour in Europe and is second to the U.S. based PGA TOUR in worldwide prestige. The European Tour was established by the British based Professional Golfers' Association, but became independent of its parent in 1984. It is completely separate from the PGA TOUR and the PGA of America. Its tournaments are mostly held in Europe, but in recent years, it has expanded to other parts of the world outside of North America. The European based events are nearly all played in Western Europe and the most lucrative of them take place in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain. Only one of the events held in Europe takes place east of the former Iron Curtain.

The structure of the European Tour season

Outline of the season

The table below illustrates the structure of the European season. The events shown are for the 2005 season, but there are only minor variations in the overall pattern from one year to the next. Tournaments sometimes change venue, and quite often change name, especially when they get a new sponsor, but the principal events have fixed and traditional places in the schedule, and this determines the rhythm of the season.

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Since 2000 the season has actually started late in the previous calendar year, but the seasons are still named by calendar year, rather than for example 2004-05 to reflect the actual span of play. The 2005 schedule includes three events held late in the previous year. All of the events up until late March take place outside of Europe, and most of these are co-sanctioned with other tours. The 2005 season includes five events in China (with one in Hong Kong), two events in South Africa, and single events in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. All four major championships are official stops on the European Tour, as are the three individual World Golf Championships events, and the majority of these events take place in the U.S. From around the end of March the tour plays mainly in Europe, and the events in its home continent generally have higher prize money than those elsewhere, apart from the ones in the U.S. The season ends with the Volvo Masters, the equivalent of the PGA Tour's Tour Championship, which is normally scheduled to end on the last Sunday of October.

Related Topics:
China - Hong Kong - South Africa - Singapore - Australia - New Zealand - Malaysia - Indonesia - United Arab Emirates - Qatar - Major championships - World Golf Championships - Volvo Masters - Tour Championship

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Schedule

The weekly numbers are those used by the Official World Golf Rankings, which apply to events on all the main men's golf tours.

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WeekTournamentHost countryNotes

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48Volvo China OpenChinaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Volvo China Open - China - Asian Tour

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49Omega Hong Kong OpenHong Kong, Chinaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Omega Hong Kong Open - Hong Kong - China - Asian Tour

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50Dunhill ChampionshipSouth Africaco-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour

Related Topics:
Dunhill Championship - South Africa - Sunshine Tour

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4South African Airways OpenSouth Africaco-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour

Related Topics:
South African Airways Open - South Africa - Sunshine Tour

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5Caltex Masters presented by CarlsbergSingaporeco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Caltex Masters presented by Carlsberg - Singapore - Asian Tour

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6Heineken ClassicAustraliaco sanctioned with PGA Tour of Australasia

Related Topics:
Heineken Classic - Australia - PGA Tour of Australasia

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7Holden New Zealand OpenNew Zealandco sanctioned with PGA Tour of Australasia

Related Topics:
Holden New Zealand Open - New Zealand - PGA Tour of Australasia

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8Carlsberg Malaysian OpenMalaysiaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Carlsberg Malaysian Open - Malaysia - Asian Tour

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9WGC-Accenture Match Play ChampionshipUnited StatesWorld Golf Championship

Related Topics:
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship - United States - World Golf Championship

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10Dubai Desert ClassicUnited Arab Emiratesin Asia, but not co-sanctioned

Related Topics:
Dubai Desert Classic - United Arab Emirates

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11Qatar MastersQatarco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Qatar Masters - Qatar - Asian Tour

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12TCL ClassicChinaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
TCL Classic - China - Asian Tour

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13Enjoy Jakata Standard Chartered Indonesia OpenIndonesiaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Enjoy Jakata Standard Chartered Indonesia Open - Indonesia - Asian Tour

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14Estoril Open de PortugalPortugalFirst event in Europe

Related Topics:
Estoril Open de Portugal - Portugal - Europe

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15The Masters (April)United StatesMajor

Related Topics:
The Masters - United States - Major

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15Madeira Island OpenPortugalSecondary to the Masters

Related Topics:
Madeira Island Open - Portugal

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16Open de EspanaSpain

Related Topics:
Open de Espana - Spain

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17Johnnie Walker ClassicChinaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
Johnnie Walker Classic - China - Asian Tour

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18BMW Asian OpenChinaco-sanctioned with the Asian Tour

Related Topics:
BMW Asian Open - China - Asian Tour

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19Telecom Italia OpenItaly

Related Topics:
Telecom Italia Open - Italy

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20Daily Telegraph Dunlop MastersEngland

Related Topics:
Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters - England

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21Nissan Irish OpenRepublic of Ireland

Related Topics:
Nissan Irish Open - Republic of Ireland

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22BMW ChampionshipEnglandThe tour's "home tournament"

Related Topics:
BMW Championship - England

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23Celtic Manor Wales OpenWales

Related Topics:
Celtic Manor Wales Open - Wales

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24KLM OpenNetherlands

Related Topics:
KLM Open - Netherlands

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25U.S. Open (June)United StatesMajor

Related Topics:
U.S. Open - United States - Major

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25Aa St Omer OpenFrancesecondary to the U.S. Open

Related Topics:
Aa St Omer Open - France

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26Open de FranceFrance

Related Topics:
Open de France - France

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27Smurfit European OpenRepublic of Ireland

Related Topics:
Smurfit European Open - Republic of Ireland

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28Barclays Scottish OpenScotland

Related Topics:
Barclays Scottish Open - Scotland

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29The Open Championship (July)United KingdomMajor

Related Topics:
The Open Championship - United Kingdom - Major

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30Deutsche Bank Players Championship of EuropeGermany

Related Topics:
Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe - Germany

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31Scandinavian Masters by CarlsbergSweden

Related Topics:
Scandinavian Masters by Carlsberg - Sweden

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32Johnnie Walker Championship at GleneaglesScotland

Related Topics:
Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles - Scotland

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33PGA Championship (August)United StatesMajor

Related Topics:
PGA Championship - United States - Major

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33Cadillac Russian OpenRussiaSecondary to the PGA Championship

Related Topics:
Cadillac Russian Open - Russia

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34WGC-NEC InvitationalUnited StatesWorld Golf Championships

Related Topics:
WGC-NEC Invitational - United States - World Golf Championships

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35BMW International OpenGermany

Related Topics:
BMW International Open - Germany

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36Omega European MastersSwitzerland

Related Topics:
Omega European Masters - Switzerland

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37Linde German MastersGermany

Related Topics:
Linde German Masters - Germany

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38HSBC World Match Play ChampionshipEngland16 man matchplay event. Highest 1st prize in golf.

Related Topics:
HSBC World Match Play Championship - England - Matchplay

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39Seve TrophyvariesTeam event

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40Dunhill Links ChampionshipScotlandCelebrity pro-am

Related Topics:
Dunhill Links Championship - Scotland

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41WGC-American Express ChampionshipvariesWorld Golf Championships

Related Topics:
WGC-American Express Championship - World Golf Championships

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41Abamba Open de CanariasSpain

Related Topics:
Abamba Open de Canarias - Spain

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42Madrid OpenSpain

Related Topics:
Madrid Open - Spain

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43Mallorca ClassicSpain

Related Topics:
Mallorca Classic - Spain

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44Volvo MastersSpainThe "tour championship"

Related Topics:
Volvo Masters - Spain

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For the latest version of the tour schedule on the European Tour's website, with this year's tournament dates, champions' names, prize fund totals and links to full results, click here.

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