Golf: PGA Tour merges two affiliates to launch PGA Tour Americas from Feb 2024

The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour, which conducts the most competitive golf events in the World, on Tuesday announced the merger of its affiliates for Latin America and Canada into one series of competitions for the Americas from early next year.

"The PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Canada will merge into a singular Tour to form PGA Tour Americas, which will begin conducting events from February 2024," the PGA Tour announced here on Tuesday.

PGA Tour Americas will consist of 16 events contested across Latin America, Canada and the United States from February through September. The top 10 finishers on the season-long points list will earn membership in the Korn Ferry Tour, the second-rung of the main PGA Tour, for the following season.

"As we build on the rich golf history across Latin America and Canada, we are thrilled about PGA Tour Americas and the role this tour will play in preparing players for the next step in their professional golf jo"rney," said Alex Baldwin, who oversees PGA Tour Americas, the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry and PGA TOUR University.

"PGA Tour Americas will be an extremely competitive tour aimed at identifying, developing and transitioning top-performing players to the next level as they ascend through the ranks and strive to reach the highest level of professional golf, the PGA Tour."

The PGA Tour Americas season will begin in February with the Latin America Swing, which will conclude in May.

Eligibility for the Latin America Swing will include the top 60 finishers from the final 2022-2023 PGA Tour Latinoamérica Points List and the top 60 finishers from the final 2023 PGA TOUR Canada Points List.

PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will also provide access to the Latin America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas for the winners of a First Stage site, as well as additional finishers beyond the 40th position and ties from Final Stage of 2023 PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. Additional access to the Latin America Swing will include the Latinoamérica Dev Series and the highest finisher on the 2023 APGA season-long points list who is a member of the APGA Player Development programme, the PGA informed.

The top 60 players from the Latin America Swing will continue to compete in the North America Swing. Additionally, PGA TOUR Americas will host a mid-season Q-School, as well as introduce graduates from PGA TOUR University (finishers 6-20). Full eligibility for PGA TOUR Americas will be announced later this year and will feature similar categories to PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada, including open qualifiers, sponsor exemptions and eligible Korn Ferry Tour members.

As PGA Tour Americas heads to the North America Swing, members will compete in Canada and the United States from June through September to finish in the top 10 on the season-long points list and earn Korn Ferry Tour membership -- exempt through the third reshuffle -- for the following season.

In addition to Korn Ferry Tour cards being awarded to the top 10 finishers on the PGA Tour Americas Points List, there are also numerous performance benefits available on PGA Tour Americas. Five conditional Korn Ferry Tour cards are available to the top two finishers in the Latin America Swing and the top three performers from the North America Swing, in the event those individuals do not finish in the top 10 on the final PGA TOUR Americas Points List.

Additionally, performance on the PGA Tour Americas Points List will grant access to the 2024 PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. The top 10 finishers on the PGA Tour Americas Points List, the top two finishers in the Latin America Swing and the top three finishers in the North America Swing will earn exemptions to the Final Stage of PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

Finishers 11-25 on the PGA Tour Americas Points List, finishers 3-10 from the Latin America Swing and finishers 4-10 from the North America Swing will earn exemptions to the Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

All remaining PGA Tour Americas members will earn exemptions to the First Stage of PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

The 2024 PGA Tour Americas schedule will be announced in September. Finalized details regarding eligibility -- including the priority ranking -- as well as purses and points distribution, will be announced closer to the 2024 PGA Tour Americas season beginning in February 2024.