Essential Golf: A passion for the Game

How Many Professional Golf Tours Are There?

How Many Professional Golf Tours Are There?

Most golf fans have yet to comprehend how professional golf tours work and how many there are worldwide. Naturally, news outlets tend to cover the most famous and lucrative tours, such as the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Series, but in essence, there are a large number of golf tours across different geographical regions of the world. A governing body known as the International Federation of PGA Tours deliberates common global issues in professional golf and ensures that individual tours run smoothly.

Every region has a much-coveted top-tier professional golf tour that golfers aspire to qualify for, but due to the stiff competition, not every golfer can participate. Thus, other second-tier tours, known as developmental tours, act as feeders to the main ones, giving upcoming golfers a platform to qualify for the lucrative top-tier tours. As golfers win trophies and rise to the limelight, they can shift all their attention to competing in the main tours where the prize money is heaviest.

Top Professional Golf Tours in the World:

PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR is undoubtedly the most popular professional tour among pro male golfers. Though based in the United States, the PGA TOUR is also open to international golfers that qualify. It features a series of highly lucrative events with a purse average of $8.5 million and a first-place finish garnering a minimum of 24 OWGR points. It’s safe to say that once a golfer lifts a PGA TOUR trophy, their career fortunes change for life. The equally famous Korn Ferry Tour acts as the second-tier feeder tour for the PGA Tour.

For more information: www.pgatour.com

LIV Golf

LIV Golf is the latest entrant in the list of professional golf tours, but it also happens to be the richest. The trending series receives funding from the heavily monied Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Although it premiered in 2022, they have already splashed billions to poach the big names in the PGA and DP World Tours, such as Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman. With a total purse of $25 million per event, all eyes wait to see how LIV tournaments will be.

For more information: www.livgolf.com

LPGA Tour

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour is the most lucrative and famous professional tour for women golfers. Based in the USA, the event attracts international golfers and comprises of five annual major championships. Golfers participating in other female tours eye a spot on the LPGA Tour and jump on the first opportunity to join it due to the fame and fortune that comes with it.

For more information: www.lpga.com

PGA TOUR Champions

The best thing about golf is that there’s no set retirement age. The US-based PGA TOUR Champions is for male golfers aged 50 and above, which offers a perfect nest for pro golfers to enjoy their golden years and add a couple more million to their net worth in the process.

For more information: www.pgatour.com/champions

European Tour

The European Tour is another highly-coveted professional golf tour, now called the DP World Tour. Pro golfers eye the $2.5 million purse average on DP World Tour events, and the minimum of 24 OWGR points players gain from a first-place finish. The Challenge Tour acts as the second-tier feeder tour to the DP World Tour.

For more information: www.europeantour.com