O’Grady announces tour membership changes

Players must add a 13th event to their European Tour schedule

Professionals taking up both their European and PGA Tour cards will now have to squeeze an extra European Tour event onto their schedule after it was confirmed players must now play 13 events to fulfil their membership.

The announcement of the changes to the general membership regulations were made following a meeting of the European Tour’s tournament committee at Oceánico Victoria Golf Club in Portugal and will take precedence from the beginning of the 2011 schedule.

However, the tour’s chief executive George O’Grady also announced that the Volvo World Match Play Championship, which in 2011 will be played at Finca Cortesin from May 19-22, would be one of the 13 counting events.

Meanwhile, at the request of the tour membership, a pro-am will be played over the West Course at Wentworth to celebrate the tour’s 40^th anniversary, as well as the 20^th anniversary of Seve Ballesteros’ last successes in both the PGA Championship and World Match Play events at the iconic venue.

The Seve Ballesteros Invitational Pro-Am, will boast a limited field of 18 professionals and will be hosted by Wentworth ahead of the BMW PGA Championship on Monday, May 23, 2011.

All proceeds from the pro-am will be donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation’s activities on behalf of Cancer Research UK, which benefits cancer research throughout the world.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered