2014 EUROPRO TOUR DATES AND VENUES ANNOUNCED

                 OLIVER FARR: Winner of last year's PGA EuroPro Tour Championship

NEWS RELEASE
The UK’s leading golf tour is set for its best ever season after the PGA EuroPro Tour launched its greatest line-up of courses to date. European golf’s third-tier tour will visit some of the best courses across England, Scotland and Ireland in 2014 and in a Ryder Cup year starts in style at a former Ryder Cup host venue – the Brabazon at The Belfry, from April 15-17. 
As part of a new strategic partnership with De Vere, the tour will also bring Europe’s best young golfers to The Carrick on Loch Lomond (July 9-11) and Slaley Hall (August 13-15). 
After starting at The Belfry the tour returns to Montrose Golf Links. The historic course made a successful debut on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2013 and will again welcome the tour to Scotland’s east coast from April 29-May 1. 
Longhirst Hall stages event number three from May 21-23, and for the first time the tour will play on the Dawson Course at the Northumberland venue. The tour then heads to long-standing host Burhill (May 29-31), where the New Course is often praised as one of the best on tour. 
Event five sees a return to The Astbury in Shropshire from June 11-13. The course earned rave reviews from players after making its EuroPro debut last season. 
From Shropshire the tour travels to Wiltshire for a maiden appearance at Cumberwell Park, described as one of southern England’s best new courses. The tournament will take place from June 18-20. 
The short trip to Frilford Heath’s Blue Course in Oxfordshire follows from June 25-27. 
The tour stays in Scotland after its week at The Carrick to play at Royal Burgess - The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh from July 16-18.
 The final event of July sees a trip to Ireland and the third consecutive visit to the stunning and popular Concra Wood in Castleblayney from July 23-25. 
Moor Allerton was rated as one of 2013’s best new events and the tour returns to the Leeds club from August 6-8, before heading to Northumberland to play Slaley Hall’s Priestman Course. 
Last year’s Tour Championship hosts Prince’s stages event number 13 from August 19-21 on their Shores and Dunes course, before the tour heads to The Oxfordshire at Thame from August 27-29. The regular season concludes back in Scotland, where Mar Hall will host the tour for a third successive year following which the top 60 on the Order of Merit will be invited to play the Tour Championship. 
PGA EuroPro Tour Director of Operations Daniel Godding said: “I am thrilled with the 15 courses we have lined up for this summer’s Tour. We have courses with a great pedigree of holding major tournaments on the European Tour and the Ryder Cup, as well as some of the best new courses the UK and Ireland have to offer.” 
A two-hour highlights package from every event will be broadcast on Sky Sports HD four times within two weeks of the tournament, and will later be available on the tour’s YouTube channel. 
Details of the 2014 Tour Championship will be announced in the spring. Entries for the 2014 PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School have now opened. 
Qualifying School takes place over two stages, with players choosing from De Vere Slaley Hall, Formby Hall, Woldingham and The Players Club for their 36-hole first stage (March 26-27) before the successful golfers (maximum field 240) progress to second and final stage, with 54 holes played over the Red and Blue Courses at Frilford Heath. 
The field will be cut to the top 80 after 36 holes with the qualifiers playing a final 18 holes over the Blue Course. 
Entries for the Qualifying School will only be accepted from players who become members of the PGA EuroPro Tour (annual fee £250 in 2013). 
Entry fee to the Q School costs a further £145 (that's what it was in 2013). 
Amateurs with a handicap of 2 or less are allowed to enter the Q School and retain their amateur status. 
The entry fee for each event on the tournament schedule costs a player £275. 
Each event is over 54 holes with a cut to the top 50 and ties after 36 holes. 
The minimum prize fund is £40,000. The winner of a tournament receives £10,000. 
The top five in the Order of Merit at the end of season are promoted to the Challenge Tour. Further details can be found http://www.europrotour.com/

PGA EUROPRO TOUR 2014 SCHEDULE

April 15-17

The Belfry, Warwickshire

April 29 - May 1

Montrose Links, Angus

May 21-23

Longhirst Hall, Northumberland

May 29-31

Burhill, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

June 11-13

The Astbury, Shropshire

June 18-20

Cumberwell Park,Wiltshire

June 25-27

Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire

July 9-11

The Carrick on Loch Lomond

July 16-18

Royal Burgess, Edinburgh

July 23-25

Concra Wood, Castleblaney, Ireland

August 6-8

Moor Allerton, Leeds

August 13-15

 Slaley Hall, Northumberland

August 19-21

 Prince’s, Kent

August 27-29

 The Oxfordshire, Thame

September 3-5

 Mar Hall, Glasgow

 

 +The dates and venue for the 2014 PGA EuroPro Tour Championship will be announced later.