The International Federation of PGA Tours is an organization founded in 1996 to enable the world's leading tours to discuss common and global issues in professional golf. The founding members were the United States based PGA Tour, the European PGA Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and the Southern African based Sunshine Tour. In 1999 they were joined by the Asian Tour and a year later the Canadian Tour became an associate member. The South and Central America based Tour de las Americas became the federation's second associate member in 2007.
In 2009 the federation announced a major expansion, as the Tour de las Americas and the Canadian Tour became full members alongside nine new members. They were the China Golf Association, the Korea Professional Golfers Association and the Professional Golf Tour of India as well as the organizers of the six major Ladies tours, the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour, the Australian LPGA Tour, the Japan LPGA, the Korean LPGA, and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.
The International Federation of PGA Tours founded the World Golf Championships in 1999 and sanction the Official World Golf Rankings
Other Professional Golf Tours
World ranking points are also awarded for good placings in events on two developmental tours. These are the Challenge Tour (second-tier tour to the European Tour) and the Nationwide Tour(second-tier tour to the PGA Tour).
In addition, the OneAsia Tour founded in 2009 as a joint venture between the PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Tour, the Korean Golf Association and the Korean PGA, offers world ranking points
The richest tour that does not offer ranking points is the Korean Tour. Below this level, the tours do not offer ranking points, and the prize money on offer will be at a level that allows only a few of the members, or perhaps none of them at all, to make their main income from playing on that tour alone. Some of the players will also play on other tours when they are able to, and others will be club or teaching professionals who play tournament golf part time.
The official development tour in Japan is the Japan Challenge Tour. Other regional tours include the Professional Golf Tour of India and the China Golf Tour
The United States and Europe have additional tours for players who haven't made it onto the Nationwide Tour or the Challenge Tour. At this level the prize money is partly funded by entrance fees and only the most successful players will win enough to do more than cover their expenses: the emphasis is very much on moving up to a higher tour.
In Europe there is a well-defined third tier of golf tours which are independently operated but offer promotion to the Challenge Tour for the most successful players. The four third level tours, collectively known as the Satellite Tour, are the PGA EuroPro Tour, the Alps Tour, the EPD Tour and the Nordic League. Below this level there are various minor professional tournaments, some of which are organized into series by national golf associations, for example the men's leg of the Swedish Golf Association's SAS Masters Tour, which is now a part of the Nordic League competition.
In the United States the lower-level tours do not offer direct promotion to the Nationwide Tour so there is not a well defined third tier. The larger regional tours include the eGolf Professional Tour, the Gateway Tour, the NGA Hooters Tour and a constantly changing roster of small "mini-tours". The term mini-tour is colloquial and not easy to define with the larger regional tours carefully avoiding applying the term to themselves. Some of the smaller and lower cost tours prefer the term "developmental tour" asserting that real pro golf with large audiences and great financial opportunities for its players starts at the Nationwide Tour level. Either way, below Nationwide Tour level there is little possibility of earning a living from the prize money alone and players compete to gain competitive experience. Some are employed as club or teaching professionals and play tournaments part time, while some may have sponsors or family backing.
Men's senior tours
Upon reaching age 50, male golfers are eligible to compete in senior tournaments. Golf is unique among sports in having high profile and lucrative competitions for players of this age group. Nearly all of the famous golfers who are eligible to compete in these events choose to do so, unless they are unable to for health reasons. A number of players win more than a million dollars in prize money each season, and once endorsements and other business activities are taken into account, a few of the "legends of golf" in this age group earn as much as any of the younger PGA Tour pros, other than Tiger Woods. The two main senior tours are:
The Champions Tour (based in the United States)
The European Seniors Tour
In 2009 the federation announced a major expansion, as the Tour de las Americas and the Canadian Tour became full members alongside nine new members. They were the China Golf Association, the Korea Professional Golfers Association and the Professional Golf Tour of India as well as the organizers of the six major Ladies tours, the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour, the Australian LPGA Tour, the Japan LPGA, the Korean LPGA, and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.
The International Federation of PGA Tours founded the World Golf Championships in 1999 and sanction the Official World Golf Rankings
Other Professional Golf Tours
World ranking points are also awarded for good placings in events on two developmental tours. These are the Challenge Tour (second-tier tour to the European Tour) and the Nationwide Tour(second-tier tour to the PGA Tour).
In addition, the OneAsia Tour founded in 2009 as a joint venture between the PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Tour, the Korean Golf Association and the Korean PGA, offers world ranking points
The richest tour that does not offer ranking points is the Korean Tour. Below this level, the tours do not offer ranking points, and the prize money on offer will be at a level that allows only a few of the members, or perhaps none of them at all, to make their main income from playing on that tour alone. Some of the players will also play on other tours when they are able to, and others will be club or teaching professionals who play tournament golf part time.
The official development tour in Japan is the Japan Challenge Tour. Other regional tours include the Professional Golf Tour of India and the China Golf Tour
The United States and Europe have additional tours for players who haven't made it onto the Nationwide Tour or the Challenge Tour. At this level the prize money is partly funded by entrance fees and only the most successful players will win enough to do more than cover their expenses: the emphasis is very much on moving up to a higher tour.
In Europe there is a well-defined third tier of golf tours which are independently operated but offer promotion to the Challenge Tour for the most successful players. The four third level tours, collectively known as the Satellite Tour, are the PGA EuroPro Tour, the Alps Tour, the EPD Tour and the Nordic League. Below this level there are various minor professional tournaments, some of which are organized into series by national golf associations, for example the men's leg of the Swedish Golf Association's SAS Masters Tour, which is now a part of the Nordic League competition.
In the United States the lower-level tours do not offer direct promotion to the Nationwide Tour so there is not a well defined third tier. The larger regional tours include the eGolf Professional Tour, the Gateway Tour, the NGA Hooters Tour and a constantly changing roster of small "mini-tours". The term mini-tour is colloquial and not easy to define with the larger regional tours carefully avoiding applying the term to themselves. Some of the smaller and lower cost tours prefer the term "developmental tour" asserting that real pro golf with large audiences and great financial opportunities for its players starts at the Nationwide Tour level. Either way, below Nationwide Tour level there is little possibility of earning a living from the prize money alone and players compete to gain competitive experience. Some are employed as club or teaching professionals and play tournaments part time, while some may have sponsors or family backing.
Men's senior tours
Upon reaching age 50, male golfers are eligible to compete in senior tournaments. Golf is unique among sports in having high profile and lucrative competitions for players of this age group. Nearly all of the famous golfers who are eligible to compete in these events choose to do so, unless they are unable to for health reasons. A number of players win more than a million dollars in prize money each season, and once endorsements and other business activities are taken into account, a few of the "legends of golf" in this age group earn as much as any of the younger PGA Tour pros, other than Tiger Woods. The two main senior tours are:
The Champions Tour (based in the United States)
The European Seniors Tour
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