PGA Tour China series back next year after hiatus

[October 25, 2017]    SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The PGA Tour China series will return with a full schedule of tournaments in 2018 after this year's scheduled was scrapped, tour officials announced at the HSBC Champions on Wednesday.

Uncertainty loomed over the series, which has produced Li Haotong and Dou Zecheng, after the initial three-year deal with China Golf Association (CGA) ran out in 2016.

"We are excited to partner with the CGA in this endeavor going forward and appreciate the CGA and its cooperation," the PGA Tour's Ty Votaw said in a statement.

The tour runs similar series in Latin America and Canada, rewarding top players with a passage to the PGA Tour through the Web.com Tour.

"We are very happy to again operate in 2018 and beyond," Greg Gilligan, Managing Director of PGA Tour Greater China, said.

"We have enjoyed our long-standing partnership with the CGA and are especially thrilled that it will continue as both entities seek to grow the game in China."

Beginning in the spring of 2018, each event will offer an increased prize purse of at least 1.5 million yuan ($225,855).

Top five money-winners at the end of the season will earn 2019 Web.com Tour membership and at least 15 additional players will have access to the latter stages of the Web.com Tour qualifying tournament.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Nick Mulvenney)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.