European Tour gets six new events

Next season’s European Tour, starting in South Africa on Thursday, will feature six new events among its 47.

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

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