NEW MIDAS TOUR ATTRACTS FORMER
EUROPEAN TOUR PLAYERS PAUL
EALES AND DANIEL GAUNT

Players with top-level experience on the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Seniors Tour are among those to sign up for Britain’s newest professional golf tour, the Midas Tour.
Paul Eales won the 1994 Extremadura Open on the European Tour and has earned more than £1 million in prize money. He is now increasingly well-known as a commentator for the BBC and Setanta Sports.
Australian Daniel Gaunt played on the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour and finished third in the 2004 EuroPro order of merit and runner-up the following year, when he also won the £10,000 Peugeot International.
Along with others who have played on the Seniors Tour, the two bring a wealth of experience to the Midas Tour, which launches in April with the aim of providing a stepping stone for young professionals.
“I think it’s great that the Midas Tour has been launched to help players develop in a competitive environment,” said Royal Lytham-based Eales. “I don’t have a ranking on the European Tour now, so I like to play in other tournaments when my commitments allow. I hope to play in a number of events on the Midas Tour, and I look forward to playing with some of these guys, who are the next generation of British golf stars.”
Gaunt added: “I took a year off last year and the Midas Tour looks an ideal way to get back into serious competitive golf in an affordable way. With some experienced players and up-and-coming professionals, as well as top-class amateurs, at some great venues, this promises to be a superb tour.”
The Midas Tour will consist of 18 events throughout 2008, including an end-of-season pro-am competition.
The tour gets under way at Orchardleigh Golf Club, Frome, Somerset, on April 8 and 9, and will include events across the South of England and the Midlands, with two-day 36-hole tournaments at some of the country’s most attractive courses.
Tour director Paul Seymour, himself a professional golfer, said: “I’m thrilled that we’ve attracted professionals with this sort of pedigree. It’s going to be fantastic for budding young players to compete alongside people who have played at the top level.”
“I know that players really want to be able to play in strong, competitive tournaments without depending on sponsors with deep pockets, and the Midas Tour will provide just that.”
The expected first prize at each event will be around £2,000, with a minimum of £1,000 if the entry is below 100
Seymour is also aiming to create separate tours for Ladies and Seniors and is in talks with an existing northern-based tour over co-operation which could include reciprocal playing rights and combined events.
Players and potential sponsors wanting information should contact Paul Seymour on 01769 560611 or email themidastour@hotmail.co.uk Further details are available at www.themidastour.com
The Midas Tour schedule is as follows:
April 8-9: Orchardleigh, Frome, Somerset
April 21-22: The Menzies Cambridge Hotel and Golf Club, Cambridge
May 12-13: The Players’ Club, Codrington, Bristol
May 20-21: Farrington Golf and Country Club, Farrington Gurney, Bristol
June 4-5: Paultons Golf Centre, near Romsey, Hampshire
June 17-18: Cumberwell Park, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
July 1-2: Rye Hill Golf Club, Banbury, Oxfordshire
July 17-18: South Essex Golf Club, Brentwood, Essex
July 21-22: Oake Manor Golf Club, near Taunton, Somerset
Aug 7-8: The South Staffordshire Golf Club, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton
Aug 19-20: Blue Mountain Golf Club, Binfield, Berks
Aug 26-27: Sherfield Oaks Golf Club, near Basingstoke, Hampshire
Sept 8-9: Chelsfield Lakes Golf Club, Orpington, Kent
Sept 23-24: Traditions Golf Club, Pyrford Woking, Surrey
Oct 7-8: Cumberwell Park, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
Oct 13-14: The Players’ Club, Codrington, Bristol
Oct 20-21: Bowood Golf and Country Club, Calne, Wiltshire
Oct 22: Pro-Am – Bowood Golf and Country Club.