Yorkshire-based golf tour operator The Golf Travel People is to sponsor the new 2020protour – the first equal gender professional golf tour in the UK with an equitable policy.
Under the guidance of ex-European Tour player Chris Hanson and former PGA professional Adam Walker, the unique 2020protour will feature over 20 one-day equal gender professional events throughout the 2020 season at a selection of the north of England’s premier golf courses.
Following in the footsteps of this year’s successful equal gender professional event – the Cascais Golf Sixes – the 2020protour is set to revolutionise UK professional golf with its refreshing concept. A total of 23 golf clubs have already signed up to host competitions in 2020, with the first set to tee off at Huddersfield Golf Club in February.
Women who take part in the tournament will play a course that is 11 per cent shorter than that played by men, in a bid to create a level playing field. All entrance fees for the competition will go towards the prize fund, and a host of industry sponsors will provide additional rewards for the winners.
A YouTube channel will be used to provide a small highlights package of each of the tournaments and Hanson and Walker have been delighted by the immediate and substantial support for the venture communicated through social media.
“We have probably talked about it for five years on and off that there is room to do one of these tours, especially in the North of England,” said Hanson. “It kind of spiralled from an evening six weeks ago in Madrid, talking about it and spending two hours of writing notes, to a week of writing notes, to a week later having ten venues lined up and now to having 23 lined up.”
Walker said: “Annual membership is set at £119 and comes with a member’s benefits package, discounts on various brands, and a discounted entry fee of £99 per tournament. We want to give value back to the players. We want to make it really worthwhile that they join.”
The Golf Travel People will support the tour through sponsorship, providing a prize package for the winner and discount on future golf travel for all tour participants. The Holmfirth-based golf tour agency have been long-term supporters of equal gender golf in both the amateur and professional arenas and are excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind development in UK professional golf.
MD of The Golf Travel People, Dan Thomson, commented: “With a high percentage of our golf travel decision-makers being female golfers, it is great to finally see that equal gender golf is taking centre stage in professional events. We firmly believe that this model is the future of pro-golf – both on mini-tours like the 2020protour and in the higher-profile main tours around the world.
“Like Chris and Adam, we are confident that the success of events like the 2020protour will only serve to fast-track these equal gender events and tours onto bigger and better things with more and more female golfers signing up to challenge male golfers on a level-playing field! We wish the 2020protour every success at the start of what promises to be a very exciting future.”
More details can be found at 2020protour.co.uk, or by emailing 2020protour@gmail.com