European Tour gets six new events

By Mark Garrod, Press Association Sport Golf Correspondent Last updated: 17th December 2009

Next season's European Tour, starting at Leopard Creek in South Africa on Thursday, will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments, including six new ones, and will once again culminate in the Dubai World Championship.

The season-ending event won by Lee Westwood three weeks ago had its prize fund and money list bonus pool cut by 25% because of the economic situation faced by the property developer sponsors.

But the Tour today announced that there will again be £9million up for grabs at the Jumeirah Estates next November.

A notable absentee from the schedule is the European Open, which has been played every season since 1977 and has been played at The London Club in Kent for the last two years.

That had been backed by the same Leisurecorp company who were behind the Dubai World Championship.

The six new tournaments, however, are the Africa Open in South Africa, Avantha Masters in India, Hassan Trophy in Morocco, Open Cala Millor Mallorca in Majorca, the Vivendi at a venue yet to be announced and the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama.

This September the Vivendi Trophy was a match play event between a Britain and Ireland team and one from Continental Europe, but with the Ryder Cup taking place in October the tournament in 2010 will be individual stroke play event.

A date has yet to be fixed for the Volvo World Match Play won by Ross Fisher last month, but it will be on the same Finca Cortesin course in Spain.

Wentworth, its previous home, unveils its new look at the BMW PGA Championship in May.

As well as changes to all the greens the 18th now features a ditch just short of the putting surface.

The new Tour schedule:

2009

December

10-13 Alfred Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek, South Africa

17-20 South African Open, Pearl Valley, Western Cape

2010

Jan

7-10 Africa Open, East London, South Africa

14-17 Joburg Open, Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, South Africa

21-24 Abu Dhabi Championship, Abu Dhabi GC, United Arab Emirates

28-31 Commercialbank Qatar Masters, Doha, Qatar

Feb

4-7 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Emirates, Dubai

11-14 Avantha Masters, New Delhi, India

17-21 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Dove Mountain, Arizona, USA

Mar

4-7 Maybank Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur

11-14 WGC-CA Championship, Doral, Miami, Florida, USA

18-21 Hassan II Trophy, Royal Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco

25-28 Andalucian Open, Parador de Malaga, Malaga, Spain

Apr

1-4 Estoril Portuguese Open, Penha Longa, Sintra

8-11 MASTERS, AUGUSTA NATIONAL, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA

8-11 Madeira Islands Open BPI-Portugal, Porto Santo, Madeira

15-18 to be announced

22-25 Ballantine's Championship, Jeju Island, South Korea

29-May 2 Spanish Open, Real Club, Seville

May

6-9 BMW Italian Open, Royal Park, Turin

13-16 Open Cala Millor Mallorca, Pula, Majorca

20-23 BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth, Surrey, England

27-30 Madrid Masters, venue tba

Jun

3-6 Celtic Manor Wales Open, Celtic Manor, Newport, Wales

10-13 Austrian Golf Open, Fontana, Vienna

17-20 US OPEN, PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA, USA

17-20 St-Omer Open, Aa Saint Omer, Lumbres, France

24-27 BMW International Open, Munchen Eichenried, Munich, Germany

Jul

1-4 Alstom French Open, Le Golf National, Paris, France

8-11 Barclays Scottish Open, Loch Lomond, Scotland

15-18 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

12-25 Nordea Scandinavian Masters, Bro Hof Slott, Stockholm, Sweden

29-Aug 1 3 Irish Open, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland

Aug

5-8 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Firestone, Akron, Ohio, USA

12-15 US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, WHISTLING STRAITS, WISCONSIN, USA

19-22 Czech Open, Prosper Resort, Celadna, Czech Republic

26-29 Johnnie Walker Championship, Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland

Sept

2-5 Omega European Masters, Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

9-12 KLM Open, Hilversum, The Netherlands

16-19 tba

23-26 The Vivendi, tba

Oct

1-3 RYDER CUP, CELTIC MANOR, NEWPORT, WALES

7-10 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, St Andrews, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Scotland

14-17 Portugal Masters, Oceanico Victoria, Vilamoura

21-24 Castellon Masters, Club de Campo del Mediterraneo, Castellon, Spain

28-31 Andalucia Masters, Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain

Nov

4-7 WGC-HSBC Champions, Sheshan International, Shanghai, China

11-14 Barclays Singapore Open, Sentosa, Singapore

18-21 Hong Kong Open, Fanling, Hong Kong

25-28 Dubai World Championship, Jumeirah Estates, Dubai

Dates to be confirmed:

Volvo China Open, Jinji Lake;

Volvo World Match Play Championship, Finca Cortesin, Spain;

JBWere Masters,Kingston Heath, Melbourne, Australia

Mark Garrod, Press Association Sport Golf Correspondent