No more Nationwide Tour events in Canada

[duffer den]

Just read an article on pgatour.com with respect to the Nationwide Tour schedule that was released on Dec 12 and in scanning the list, I see no Canadian PGA Championship and no Alberta Classic. It seems professional golf in Canada is taking a big hit, even though the Canadian Open may at least have a reasonable field because it is at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Does anyone know anything further about a possible event in Canada - especially the CPGA at Whistle Bear? The CPGA site shows the event as TBD and I do see a missing week in the Nationwide schedule for July 3-9. It would seem odd for this event to go bye bye as it has been quite successful, especially with the move to Cambridge. Curious to find out more on this.

[EDSGolf]

I wonder what their reasons are for not including Canadian events, were there poor ticket sales in the past?

[Focker Singh]

Makes you wonder if the RCGA is going down? They can't seem to draw the players and now are having problems just getting an event? Is sponsorship the problem? Shouldn't be, lots of company's are willing to pump in the $$$. Sad to see.

[Bellyhungry]

Whatever happened to the Canadian PGA Championship played out of Whistle Bears at Cambridge? Is that gone as well?

Jon Mills' triumph there catapulted him to the PGA this year.
RCGA, what an arcane organization!!!

[dixongolfer]

Makes you wonder if the RCGA is going down? They can't seem to draw the players and now are having problems just getting an event? Is sponsorship the problem? Shouldn't be, lots of company's are willing to pump in the $$$. Sad to see.
The CPGA Championship tournament is run by the CPGA in cooperation with the PGA Tour/Nationwide Tour, the RCGA nothing to do with it.

[dixongolfer]

CPGA Championship No Longer a Nationwide Tour event at
Whistle Bear Golf Club





(Acton, ON) December 20, 2005 – The Canadian PGA announced today it will not conduct its championship on the Nationwide Tour at Whistle Bear Golf Club in 2006. The tournament had been played as part of the Tour for the past five years, including the past two at Whistle Bear.



Despite a very successful tournament on many fronts, including a strong commitment and wonderful golf course upgrades by Whistle Bear owners, tremendous event management provided by Tournament Director Brad Matthews and inspirational leadership on the part of Nationwide Tour volunteer of the year Sam Purdy, the CPGA Championship could not continue in its present form due to a lack of a title or presenting sponsor.



“The Canadian PGA owes Whistle Bear Golf Club a very big debt of gratitude for taking its Championship to a new level over the past two years,” said Canadian PGA President Al Scott. “On behalf of all Canadian PGA members, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Whistle Bear owners, Brad Matthews, Sam Purdy, all of the hard working volunteers, the sponsors, media, and the Region of Waterloo for their much appreciated time and effort in support of the CPGA Championship”.



“On behalf of Whistle Bear Golf Club, we would like to thank the sponsors, hundreds of volunteers, the media, and Waterloo Region for making this event one of the top tournaments on the Nationwide Tour,” stated Brad Matthews, Tournament Director and the Director of Golf at Whistle Bear Golf Club. “I would also like to thank the Canadian PGA for giving me the opportunity to serve as Tournament Director for such a prestigious event.”



“We are saddened by the news, but we have been able to develop a strong relationship with the Canadian PGA and the PGA TOUR that will only help us to achieve success in our future endeavors. We are hopeful that this experience can be used as leverage in bidding to host an even bigger championship, such as the Open. Our track record has proven that we have that ability and we only hope that the Region of Waterloo and other major decision makers will recognize this in our continued quest,” added Matthews.



The facilities at the Whistle Bear Golf Club and the support of the Waterloo Region were instrumental in creating record attendance on the Nationwide Tour and the course was also rated by the players as one of the top-conditioned on Tour.



“While we are disappointed that the Canadian PGA Championship will not be a part of our schedule in 2006, we want to thank everyone involved for their participation over the past several seasons,” said Bill Calfee, Chief of Operations for the Nationwide Tour. “The CPGA was a fantastic event and all involved should be proud of their efforts to make the tournament a memorable championship.”



“After an exhaustive search for a title and presenting sponsor, the Association is disappointed in having no choice but to make this decision,” said Canadian PGA Executive Director Stephen Carroll. “We wanted to be fair to Whistle Bear Golf Club, the hundreds of volunteers who need to plan their vacation time next summer and the PGA Tour who need to finalize a 2006 Nationwide Tour schedule.”



“Looking ahead, the Canadian PGA has several options to explore with regard to the fate of its historical and storied championship. The Association looks forward to making an announcement on the new format for its championship in the near future,” added Carroll.

[Golftool]

See what happens when Martin pi$$es off the Americans!:eek:

Next - the Canadian open will only draw Big Break players!:D

[Golfbum]

See what happens when Martin pi$$es off the Americans!:eek:

Next - the Canadian open will only draw Big Break players!:D

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: