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Tour To Pay Out Guaranteed Minimum $1,000 First Place Prize Money

Change applies to all events in 2008

April 1, 2008

The Michigan Player's Tour is pleased to announce it will pay out a guaranteed minimum of $1,000.00 to the winner of each Tour event conducted during the 2008 season. By implementing this policy, the Tour is in better position to compete with other tours around the country.

The guaranteed minimum $1,000.00 check will be paid out in all events drawing at least 12 players. Should the Tour secure sponsorship or fields increase to the point where the total purse exceeds $5,000.00, the first place check will also increase (first place money will equal at least 20% of the total purse).

For additional information, please see the Purses page on the Tour web site.

Tour To Publish e-Newsletter

May 5, 2008

The Michigan Player's Tour is now publishing an e-newsletter containing news, results, and "inside information" about the Tour's efforts to build top level tournaments in Michigan.

The newsletter will be published monthly, and will link to the Tour web site. To subscribe, click on the button below.

2008 Schedule Complete

January 28, 2008

The Michigan Player's Tour schedule for 2008 is now complete, and will consist of 18 events throughout the state beginning June 3rd.

Some of the courses to be used on the 2008 Tour

In order to make the Tour more accessible to players, the Tour schedule now includes several events in the greater Detroit Metro area, the I-94 corridor, and in the Saginaw Valley. In addition, most events will occur on Mondays, which should allow more PGA Section pros and assistants the opportunity to play.

"The schedule this year combines a solid lineup of courses which will definitely challenge every player on the Tour, but which also makes it more convenient for players to participate," says Tour Director Ken Carter. "More events will be played down state, which means a shorter drive for most players."

There are several courses making their first appearance on the schedule this year, including Fieldstone G.C. in Auburn Hills, Northville Hills G.C. in Northville, Coyote Preserve G.C. in Fenton, The Majestic at Lake Walden in Howell, Timber Trace G.C. in Pinckney, The Golf Club at Apple Mountain in Freeland, and The Fortress in Frankenmuth.

To see the full lineup of events, please go to the Schedule page of this web site.

Format of the Tour

The Michigan Player's Tour has been created to bring top level professional developmental tour golf to the Great Lakes region. With several of the largest cities in North America surrounding the Great Lakes, a collection of golf courses unsurpassed in both beauty and difficulty, and gorgeous summer weather most people can only dream about, the time is long overdue for a developmental tour to be based in this region.

Once fully operational, the Michigan Player's Tour will be a membership organization with both a Men's and Women's Division. The schedule for each Division will consist of 8 to 12 multi-round events per year, plus several 18 hole events to fill in off weeks. Multi-round events will generally be 36 or 54 holes, with an occasional 72 hole event. In 36 hole events there will be no cut.

Events will be conducted during the weekdays, and will be open to both professionals and amateurs with a verifiable handicap of 5.0 or less. In al events, the top 30% of scorers and ties will receive a check, with the winning professional receiving at least 20% of the purse. Amateurs finishing "in the money" will receive an award consistent with the Rules of Amateur Status. Prize money will be generated through player entry fees and sponsor contributions.

The schedule of Michigan Player's Tour events will be designed to compliment, rather than compete against, the schedule of existing PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, Canadian Tour, Hooters Tour, Futures Tour, and PGA Section tournaments in the region. Players preparing for Monday qualifiers or other events on these tours will find the Michigan Player's Tour an excellent way to enhance their playing schedule.

Goals of the Tour

The primary goal of the Michigan Player’s Tour is to create an environment in the Great Lakes region conducive to the development of professional players. Prior to the formation of the Tour, the top players based in this region were forced to move to other parts of the country to find a schedule of competitive tournaments to help develop their games to the level required for success at PGA Tour School.

A secondary goal of the Tour is to help build the game of golf throughout the Great Lakes region by creating an opportunity for all players to compete at a higher level than currently available. In addition to players working to become touring professionals, every golf league, public course, or private club has an "ace," the top player everyone tries to beat. The Michigan Player's Tour wants to give these players (as well as anyone aspiring to play better) the opportunity to compete at a higher level.

By creating this opportunity, the Tour hopes to motivate golfers throughout the region to work harder on their games, take lessons, upgrade their equipment, and play more rounds.

A final goal of the Tour is to build public awareness of the game and the players at the mini tour level, an awareness that is largely lacking in the sport right now. The players who excel at the mini tour level today will be the stars of the PGA Tour tomorrow.

For a complete list of the Tour's goals, please see the Additional Information page.

Sponsorship Opportunities

As a professional golf tour showcasing some of the top up-and-coming talent in the Great Lakes region and from other parts of the country, the Michigan Player's Tour will be creating a number of excellent sponsorship opportunities for businesses and corporations seeking to associate itself with professional golf. As of this writing, the Tour is seeking sponsorship at all levels, ranging from Tour Title Sponsor (i.e., an overall "umbrella" sponsor) to individual Event Sponsors and Associate Sponsors.

For additional information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please see the Sponsors page of this web site, or contact the Tour office.

Startup Schedule

The Michigan Player's Tour will be developed over time, with each event being created only when participation and funding are sufficient to justify it. For a full discussion of how the Tour will commence operations, please go to the Information page of this web site.

In 2008, the Tour will conduct a full schedule of 18 hole tournaments in the Men's Division, and will attempt to secure sponsorship of the Tour and for individual events. Depending on the success in sponsorship sales, the Tour hopes to create a schedule of events in the Women's Division in 2009.

If at any point the Tour is able to sign a Tour Title Sponsor, the timeline for developing the Tour will be accelerated, with multi-round events and increased purses added as soon as possible. To keep up with the latest developments and additions to the schedule, log on to this web site frequently.

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