DAR ES SALAAM: DP World Tour, PGA Tour and World Amateur Golf Association (The Royal Golf Ancient – R & A) have jointly launched a new initiative aimed at boosting the country’s top amateur golfers.
Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) Chairman, Gilman Kasiga told the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ in Dar es Salaam on Friday that The DP World Tour, The R&A and the PGA Tour have launched the Global Amateur Pathway powered by the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Kasiga said that the initiative creates new opportunities to help the very best male amateur players take the next step in their careers.
He said the initiative is a big boost for local elite players to take the game seriously for individual and country benefits at large.
According to the joint release that this paper had its copy, the landmark initiative creates a pathway for non-collegiate amateur players onto the DP World Tour and partner Tours around the world.
Under the Global Amateur Pathway, the best eligible noncollegiate male amateur within the top 20 of the WAGR® will receive a DP World Tour card for the following season.
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WAGR® comprises a women and men’s ranking for elite amateur players and is offered by The R&A and the USGA as a global service to golf. It said that players competing in Global Amateur Pathway eligible championships earn points equivalent to the number of points awarded by WAGR®.
The first Global Amateur Pathway concludes on 13 October 2024 and the first exemptions will be awarded for the 2025 season. Guy Kinnings, DP World Tour Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to offer the very best amateur players new opportunities through the Global Amateur Pathway, alongside our partners at The R&A and PGA Tour.
“This initiative is the perfect example of the benefits that come from the Strategic Alliances and partnerships that we have forged across the game of golf. “The very best amateur players now have similar opportunities to their professional counterparts, with clear pathways across the globe to ultimately compete at the pinnacle of the game. Martin Slumbers, the R & A CEO said: “We are delighted to work in partnership with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour to launch the Global Amateur Pathway.
“We care deeply about amateur golf and developing pathways for the most talented players from different regions of the world is one of our fundamental priorities. It is key to the sustainable future of the sport. “We continue to create opportunities for elite amateurs to compete at the highest level through our leading amateur championships and the Global Amateur Pathway provides the players with a route to the professional ranks. “We look forward to watching them progress in their careers and will now explore the opportunities to introduce a similar pathway in the women’s game.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the DP World Tour and The R&A to take another step forward in strengthening the pathway for amateur athletes as they transition to professional golf,” said PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan.
