The pioneering European Challenge Tour will break new ground in 2003 with the announcement of three tournaments, jointly sanctioned with the Tour de las Americas, in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico between January 30 and
February 16.
It will be the first time that the Challenge Tour has visited Latin America and Alain de Soultrait, Challenge Tour Director, said: ‘This is an exciting new development for the Challenge Tour, offering excellent playing
opportunities for our Members when the courses in Northern Europe are not in ideal condition for tournament play.
‘We already have joint-sanctioned tournaments with the Sunshine Tour in Africa, but I believe it is important to continually strive to find new horizons and this partnership with the Tour de las Americas enables us to do
that.
‘In fact, quite a number of the Argentine players on The European Tour have started out on the Tour de las Americas.’
Henrique Lavie, Commissioner, Tour de las Americas, said: ‘For the Tour de las Americas it is a great honour to co-sanction strategic events with the European Challenge Tour, representing a new era of opportunity for our region’s top players to compete against the best on the Challenge Tour.
‘It will also be an interesting time for the TLA, in that we are able to exchange operational experiences with the Challenge Tour. I am positive the Challenge Tour players and officials will enjoy the hospitality and the quality of some of TLA’s top events.’
There will be 70 places available to Challenge Tour Members from a field of 144 and the first tournament will be the MasterCard Costa Rica Open to be played at Cariari Country Club, Costa Rica, from January 30 to February 2, 2003.
The second leg of the ‘Latin Swing’ will be the Abierto Telefonica Centro America Guatemala at the Hacienda Nueva Country Club, Guatemala from February 6-9 while the third and final event is the Los Encinos Open at Toluca Golf Club, Mexico, from February 13-16. All three tournaments will have a prize fund of US$100,000.
De Soultrait added: ‘This is an important step forward and, with forthcoming events in Kenya, Zambia and Morocco, enables Challenge Tour Members to play in February, March and April before the Tour gets into full swing in May.
‘We look forward eagerly to this new venture.’
For more details contact:
Gordon Simpson
Director of Communications
European Tour
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840400
Fax: +44 (0) 1344 840444
E mail: gsimpson@europeantour.com