| Formerly | Canadian Tour Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada |
|---|---|
| Sport | Golf |
| Founded | 1985 |
| First season | 1986 |
| Ceased | 2023 |
| President | Scott Pritchard |
| Country | Based in Canada[a] |
| Most titles | Order of Merit titles: Dave Barr (2) Trevor Dodds (2) Eric Woods (2)Tournament wins: Trevor Dodds (6)Mike Grob (6) |
| Related competitions | PGA Tour Americas PGA Tour China PGA Tour Latinoamérica |
| Official website | pgatourcanada.com |
PGA Tour Canada, commonly referred to as theCanadian Tour, was a men's professionalgolf tour headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The United States–basedPGA Tour took over operation of the tour on November 1, 2012, at which time it was renamed PGA Tour Canada.[1] In 2015,Mackenzie Investments became the umbrella sponsor of the tour, branding it as theMackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.[2]
PGA Tour Canada used to be one of three international PGA Tour-sanctioned tours, along withPGA Tour Latinoamérica andPGA Tour China (all now defunct). These tours provided access to theKorn Ferry Tour and are part of the path to the PGA Tour.
In April 2023, the PGA Tour announced that the2023 PGA Tour Canada season would be the last, as from 2024 the tour would merge with PGA Tour Latinoamérica, creatingPGA Tour Americas.[3]
The origins of the Canadian Tour can be traced back to theCarling of Canada Golf Tour, which ran for four years from 1966 to 1969. In 1970Carling Brewery reduced their sponsorship commitments to just a handful of the main tournaments and the tour became less coordinated. Later in the yearImperial Tobacco Canada, under the Peter Jackson brand, signed on as title sponsor and brought scattered Canadian professional events back under one umbrella.[4] ThePeter Jackson Tour started in 1971 bringing together seven provincial opens, with each purse reachingC$15–20,000 by 1977.[5] The Tour developed predominantly Canadian touring pros but also welcomed players from around the world.Canadian Golf Hall of Fame membersDave Barr andDan Halldorson – both two-timePGA Tour winners – competed on the circuit in the 1970s and made several appearances once they were established on the big tour. Fellow Canadians and PGA Tour winnersAl Balding andGeorge Knudson also returned home several times in their career to play the circuit.
As the 1970s continued, government legislation began restricting the amount of advertising and sponsorship that tobacco companies were allowed to participate in. In 1978, anticipating future legislation that would ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship in Canada, Imperial Tobacco withdrew its title sponsorship of the circuit. Several tournaments disappeared and although a few carried on, there was no longer any cohesion to the circuit. In 1982, Canadian touring professionals formed the Tournament Players Division (TPD) within the Canadian Professional Golfers Association (CPGA) and proposed a reorganized circuit under the guidance of Ken Tarling.
In 1985, TPD members selected Bob Beauchemin as president with the mandate to "build, promote and conduct tournaments of the Canadian Tour to develop Canadian professional golfers to a world-class level." The rebornCanadian Professional Golf Tour began play in 1985 and had six events. Nevertheless, the Tour was still linked with the CPGA (PGA of Canada). In January 1986, Beauchemin convinced the CPGA's Board of Directors to grant the TPD autonomous status within the CPGA and to be responsible for its own funding.
The next step involved organizing tournaments in such a way as to maximize the benefit for the players. At the time, most tournaments were 36- or 54-hole events and several werepro-am formats. To prepare players for the PGA Tour, they set a goal for all tournaments to be 72 holes with no pro-ams during the actual competition. Prize money, exemptions and draws would need to mimic the format used on the PGA Tour andEuropean Tour. Although it took until 1989 for all tournaments to play 72 holes, the Canadian Tour began attracting players from not only the United States, but from around the world in the mid-1980s.
The Canadian Tour has sent many players on to PGA Tour success. CanadianMike Weir, the winner of eight PGA Tour titles – including the 2003Masters - earned Rookie of the Year honours on the Canadian Tour in 1993. In 1997, Weir captured the 1997Canadian Masters andBC Tel Pacific Open as well as the Order of Merit. He first qualified for the PGA Tour in 1998. Other PGA Tour winners who played the Canadian Tour include 2005U.S. Open winnerMichael Campbell, 2004Open Championship winnerTodd Hamilton,Steve Stricker,Stuart Appleby,Peter Lonard,Scott McCarron,Tim Herron,Chris DiMarco,Nick Watney,Stephen Ames,Paul Casey,Arron Oberholser,D. A. Points,Ken Duke,Mackenzie Hughes, and 2008RBC Canadian Open winnerChez Reavie.
The former Canadian Tour became an associate member of what was at the time the trade body of the world's main men's tours, theInternational Federation of PGA Tours, in 2000. In 2009, it became a full member when the Federation expanded to include all of the main women's tours. It is one of a number of lower-level tours at whichOfficial World Golf Ranking points are available, with a minimum of six given to the winner and points to the top six plus ties.
TheCanadian Open, which is the richest golf event inCanada, is a PGA Tour event. The top three from the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit the week before the Canadian Open are given entry. The prize money does not count toward Order of Merit earnings.
PGA Tour Canada offices are at Golf House inOakville, Ontario, on the grounds of theGlen Abbey Golf Course. TheJack Nicklaus-designed course has hosted more than 20 Canadian Opens since 1977.
In 2011, the Canadian Tour made history whenIsabelle Beisiegel became the first woman to earn a Tour card on a men's professional golf tour.[6]
In October 2012, the PGA Tour acquired the Canadian Tour, renaming it PGA Tour Canada effective November 1, 2012, for first use in the 2013 season. Under the new system, the top five players on the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit earnWeb.com Tour cards, with the money leader fully exempt and those 2nd-5th conditionally exempt. Players ranked 2nd through 10th are exempt through to the finals ofqualifying school and those who finish 11th–20th are admitted to the second stage. The re-tooled tour offered at least eight tournaments per season, with total purses of about $150,000 apiece.[1][7] For 2015, the purses were increased to $175,000 for the first eleven events. Those who finish in the Top 60 earn entry into season-endingFreedom 55 Financial Championship, with a $200,000 purse and are guaranteed at minimum full PGA Tour Canada status for the next season. In 2018, the purses were increased to $200,000 and $225,000 respectively.
Like many smaller tours, PGA Tour Canada has its own series of qualifying schools at various sites. The medalist at each of the six sites is fully exempt for the season. Those in the top 14 (not including ties) are exempt through the first six events, when a reshuffle occurs. In the event of a tie, a playoff determines the final exempt position. Those in the top 40 including ties are conditionally exempt.[8]
In 2015,Mackenzie Investments became the tour's umbrella sponsor. For the next six years, the tour was namedMackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.[9] Through various PGA Tour Canada's initiatives, over $4.1 million has been raised for charities throughout Canada since 2013.[10]
In 2020, PGA Tour Canada originally planned an expansion into border states with the United States. On January 16, 2020, officials announced a six-year deal with the Cragun's Golf Resort inBrainerd, Minnesota for the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center Championship.[11] In March, the tour was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, and replaced by two series – theLocaliQ Series in the United States, an eight-tournament series from August to November, and the Canada Life Series for Canadian-based players, a four-tournament series from August and September to provide Canadian-based players some playing opportunities.[12][13] In response to travel restrictions, the LocaliQ Series became theForme Tour in 2021 to allow non-Canadian members to earn Korn Ferry Tour privileges.
In 2022, PGA Tour Canada rebranded the Order of Merit as theFortinet Cup, which was modelled after the FedEx Cup points system used by the main PGA Tour, and was sponsored by network security companyFortinet.[14]
| Year | Winner | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hayden Springer | 1,311 |
| 2022 | Wil Bateman | 1,654 |
| 2021 | Callum Davison | 1,244 |
| Year | Winner | Prize money (C$) |
| 2020 | Canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2019 |  Paul Barjon | 127,336 |
| 2018 | Tyler McCumber | 139,300 |
| 2017 | Kramer Hickok | 122,502 |
| 2016 | Dan McCarthy | 157,843 |
| 2015 | J. J. Spaun | 91,193 |
| 2014 | Joel Dahmen | 80,992 |
| 2013 | Mackenzie Hughes | 52,114 |
| 2012 | Matt Hill | 48,273 |
| 2011 |  José de Jesús Rodríguez | 80,228 |
| 2010 | Aaron Goldberg | 156,119 |
| 2009 | Graham DeLaet | 94,579 |
| 2008 | John Ellis | 113,315 |
| 2007 | Byron Smith | 91,202 |
| 2006 | Stephen Gangluff | 67,336 |
| 2005 | Michael Harris | 95,622 |
| 2004 | Erik Compton | 85,876 |
| 2003 | Jon Mills | 55,321 |
| 2002 | Hank Kuehne | 105,959 |
| 2001 | Aaron Barber | 75,337 |
| 2000 |  Steven Alker | 93,617 |
| 1999 | Ken Duke | 122,188 |
| 1998 | Brian Kontak | 84,878 |
| 1997 | Mike Weir | 80,696 |
| 1996 | Trevor Dodds (2) | 129,158 |
| 1995 | Trevor Dodds | 78,468 |
| 1994 | Eric Woods (2) | 44,083 |
| 1993 | Eric Woods | 44,325 |
| 1992 | Chris DiMarco | 57,148 |
| 1991 | Guy Boros | 64,025 |
| 1990 | Brandt Jobe | 40,844 |
| 1989 | Jerry Anderson | 63,655 |
| 1988 | Dave Barr (2) | 94,750 |
| 1987 | Jim Benepe | 37,832 |
| 1986 | Dave Barr | 54,525 |