PGA Tour announces richer 2009 season

US PGA Tour officials had insisted that the current global credit crunch would not have a major impact on the circuit. And, as if to prove a point, on Wednesday they announced their 2009 schedule, featuring 25 tournaments that includes a “Texas swing”.

Overall prize money increases to $222.9 million from $214.4 million this year with each tournament worth at least $6 million.

With the European Tour’s Race to Dubai set to provide stiff competition, the PGA Tour knows it must stay relevant to keep the best players. And raising prize money is a good way to do it.

Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was quoted by AP as saying that the circuit was healthy and that charitable donations in 2008 reached a record $123 million. He said:

“I’m delighted to say that the demise of the PGA Tour has been overstated considerably. The tournaments and their sponsors have worked extremely hard during this difficult economic time to sustain their significant charitable contributions.”

However, the PGA Tour has yet to provide details on the 2009 FedEx Cup, the end-of-season play-off of four tournaments worth $10 million to the overall winner.

Europe’s Dubai World Championship at the end of the 2009 season will be worth $10 million to the winner from an overall prize pool of $20 million.

The Texas swing will be featured during the spring time after the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio was brought back from autumn to May 14-17. After this comes the HP Byron Nelson Championship outside Dallas and the Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth.


Leave a Reply