€600,000 for Europe’s next Generation of Professionals

The European Professional Development Tour (EPD Tour), founded in 1997, enters into its 15^th year in 2011. Over the course of 20 tournaments in five countries, taking place between the end of January and the beginning of October, over €600,000 in prize money will be shared out between the participating professionals. As well as the PGA of Germany, and respectively its umbrella association, shareholders in the EPD Tour include Professional Golf AG with its headquarters in Munich and Langer Sport Marketing GmbH from Augsburg.

Munich – The EPD Tour is recognised by the European Tour as the gateway to the Challenge Tour and is, consequently, one of four official Satellite Tours. This means: whoever finishes among the five top players on the EPD Tour Order of Merit at the end of the season will receive their tour card to participate on the Challenge Tour the following year. In addition, the top 6 rankings are exempt from Level 1 of the qualifying school, meaning that they have already jumped the first hurdle on their way to the golf's premiere competition, the European Tour. New in the 2011 season: The EPD Tour will pay the entry fee to the qualifying school for the five best players of the season tournaments 14 to 20, i.e. the Coburg Brose Open up to and including the Fulda EPD Tour Championship, if they are taking part in the Qualifying School. On top of that, those top 5 golfers of the competition, who are playing the Stage-1 Tournament at the Golf & Country Club Fleesensee, will stay free-of-charge in the DORFHOTEL Fleesensee apartments during the week of the tournament. The Golf & Country Club and the DORFHOTEL Fleesensee are sponsoring this part of the new points competition “Ticket to qualifying school”.

The ever increasing popularity among the outstanding field of international golfers very much confirms that the EPD Tour is becoming increasingly popular with each and every year of its existence. The Tour enjoys an outstanding reputation for its professionalism and as an ideal gateway onto the Challenge Tour. Accordingly, the quality and size of the participant field is also continuing to increase. Altogether, up to 156 golfers can go to the tee at EPD Tour tournaments. The participating golfers will come from over 30 different nations in the 2011 season. The most prominent former member of the EPD Tour is Martin Kaymer from Mettmann. Kaymer, who topped the rankings list in 2006 with five tournament victories, set a new German record round at the Habsberg Classic, needing only 59 shots to get around and qualified for the European Tour that same year through the EPD Tour and the Challenge Tour (two victories). On 28^th February 2011, Martin Kaymer climbed to number 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking list.

Reports and images from the individual open tournaments which make up the tour are provided in English and German on the websites www.epdtour.de and www.epdtour.com. The headquarters of EPDT Golf Tours GmbH and the tour office are located in Landsberger Straße in Munich. The managing director of the EPD Tour is Rainer Goldrian; the contact person for all operative tour matters is Mark Rothballer.

EPD Tour office hours are Monday to Thursday 9:30 am till 4 pm, Friday 9:30 am till 3 pm. On tournament days we are available till 2 pm.