European PGA officials expected in Nigeria in March

European PGA is expected to send some officials of the association to Nigeria between March and April, an official of Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGAN) has revealed.

This is in furtherance of the agreement between PGAN and its European counterpart, the official added.

While in Nigeria, the visitors will hold a seminar in Lagos for members of the association in the South and will also spend another week in Abuja where it will hold talks and a seminar for members of the association in the northern part of the country.

Director of Operation of PGAN, Mathew Lawrence, who disclosed this during the week, said the idea was part of the reforms the body intends carrying out as a way of making the association functions better.

Beside the seminar, the European PGA officials will also monitor and play key role in this year’s expanded Q-school programme.

“The relationship between PGA of Nigeria and European PGA is getting stronger and we hopes to benefit so much from them in the sense that they have agreed to come down to Nigeria and during their stay they will organise seminar for us.

“They will also be part of Q-school programme that is holding this year,” Lawrence said. He revealed that the Q-school qualifying forms would be made available for would-be student from January ending. 

The European PGA yesterday announced an expansive global schedule for the year, including the elevation of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA to a Rolex Series event and the continuation of the British Masters with Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood as host at Hillside Golf Club. They are two of the many highlights of the 2019 European Tour International Schedule, which was released yesterday.

According to europeantour.com, the expansive 12-month schedule from November 2018 to November 2019 emphasises the global nature of the European Tour with 48 tournaments in 31 countries spanning five continents – Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia and North America.

As in 2018 there are 47 tournaments counting towards the Race to Dubai – in addition to the return of the inventive GolfSixes for its third staging in June.

This total includes the eight tournaments which form the Rolex Series events, the premier tournament category on the European Tour, each of which has a minimum prize fund of US$7 million.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA has long been recognised as one of the stand-out tournaments on the European Tour and its elevation to the Rolex Series – with an associated prize fund rise from US$3 million to US$7 million – now properly reflects that.

As always, innovation remains an integral part of any European Tour season and in addition to the third staging of the GolfSixes event – which this year will be held in Portugal – the pioneering Shot Clock Challenge is also set to return in August after its ground-breaking debut earlier this year, as will the Belgian Knockout at the end of May.

South Africa and Morocco are not the only African countries to feature on the European Tour in 2019 – the third country from the continent to take its place being Kenya in the shape of the Kenya Open at the Karen Country Club in Nairobi in March, the tournament stepping up from the Challenge Tour where it has featured since 1991.

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted with our 2019 International Schedule which illustrates precisely what we are all about; namely a Tour which delivers a significant breadth and scope of global coverage in addition to taking a leading role in innovation and transformation.

“Our grateful thanks go to our co-sanctioning partners at the Asian Tour, the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour, in addition to the many sponsors, partners and promoters we work with in so many different countries to deliver these world-class events.”