PGA Tour announces PGA Tour Latinoamerica

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – The PGA Tour announced on Thursday the creation of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, a professional tour that will play in Latin American countries, starting in 2012.

"We are delighted to announce the launch of PGA Tour Latinoamerica," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. "This expansion into Latin America, when combined with what the Nationwide Tour has been able to accomplish in the region in recent years, is part of the natural progression for golf which continues to grow globally.

"We see this as an opportunity to help in the further development of elite players across the region. The timing is right, with South America hosting its first ever Olympic Games, which includes golf's return to the competition for the first time in more than 100 years."

The maiden season will consist of 11, 72-hole tournaments with full fields of 144 players to be played from September through December. The tour, which came about through the work of the PGA Tour, the Tour de Las Americas, National Golf Federations and courses throughout Latin America, is expected to expand to 14 events in the 2013 season.

The fields will be made up of primarily players in the region, but the top money winners will gain some sort of status on the Nationwide Tour the following year. The specifics of entry to the Nationwide Tour have not been finalized.

The Nationwide Tour has branched into Latin American countries in recent years. Panama and Colombia have hosted tour events and next year, Chile will also stage a Nationwide Tour event.

Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru are all expected to host tournaments in the inaugural season. The complete schedule will be announced in the near future.