Shot tracking data technology company Trackman has reached a new agreement with the European Tour group that will see the Order of Merit winner on the NEXT Golf Tour receive invites to play in DP World Tour and Challenge Tour events in 2024.
The NEXT Golf Tour is a new professional golf tour for women and men played on Trackman simulators bringing all the skill and intensity of tournament competition to the great indoors. During the inaugural season, 994 players from 41 countries competed in six 18-hole stroke play tournaments and took home a combined $834,000 in prize money. Season Two, which will feature more events, larger purses and other enhancements, begins in November.
With this innovative agreement, the winner of the Order of Merit will earn the opportunity to test their skills in a real-world environment. The 2024 NEXT Golf Tour champion will receive invitations to three tournaments on the Challenge Tour and one tournament on the DP World Tour during the 2024 season. The details on which specific tournaments the winner will compete in will be announced in due course.
Speaking about the new partnership, Trackman Co-Founder and CEO Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen said: “We created the NEXT Golf Tour to provide the many incredible players on tours around the world a new way to earn income and develop their brands as professional golfers. Season One was just the beginning, and we are excited to partner with the European Tour group to help a new generation of players chase their dreams in professional golf.”
Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament Business Officer at the European Tour group, added: “Both Trackman and the European Tour group share a vision — to attract new audiences to this great game, make it more accessible, and develop golf’s future stars. Thanks to the technological innovation of Trackman, virtual golf is now incredibly sophisticated and realistic. It is also a tool regularly used by Challenge Tour and DP World Tour players to hone their skills and equipment when they are away from the course. We look forward to seeing the Season Two winner teeing it up in 2024.”
