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The US Tour has been spending a lot of time in South America preparing for the Olympics, but they have another reason for being there: They are keen to start up a US Tour-branded circuit on the continent as well. Golf in South America For the last 18 months, officials have been meeting with golf federations of several countries with hopes of starting a a new tour in South America, Latin America and the Caribbean to help develop local talent and provide another avenue for any player to find his way to the big leagues. It is would apparently be a step below Nationwide Tour but is being seen as another avenue for hopeful pros to make it to the big time. And while there remain significant details to work out – like finding a sponsor, deciding the number of tournaments and eligibility criteria – the plan is for this series to begin as early as next year. “If you look at the top 500 in the world ranking, only 14 players are from South America and eight of those come from Argentina,” said Ty Votaw, executive vice president of international affairs who is leading the Olympic effort for the US Tour. “It’s a part of the world where the development of elite players is something that we see as being an opportunity.” With golf returning to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil interest in the sport on the continent is already on the increase and a series that would provide access to the Nationwide Tour and offer world ranking points could be the catalyst needed to jump start the sport in South America. Golf at Olympics helped Votaw said the plan is not entirely driven by the Olympics, although it has sped up the process. Keegan Bradley played mini-tours out of college, then made it far enough through Q-school to get onto the Nationwide Tour, a path that took him to victory two weeks ago on the US Tour. If a tour in South America were available then, Bradley said he would have gone. “If there was access to the Nationwide? That would be a no-brainer,” Bradley said. Aregntine two-time Major champion Angel Cabrera started a foundation to fund young players developement. He is aware of the tour’s plan and loves it. “I hope it succeeds,” Cabrera said. “We have a lot of strong players on the PGA Tour already, and it would be very good for South America to have this. We could develop some players. It would be good for the young players to give them an opportunity.” Votaw said the idea is for about 12 to 14 tournaments from eight countries. 910 d3 g20 mp600 This article is from http://www.24wholesalegolf.com/ More Wholesale Golf at http://www.24wholesalegolf.com/
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