LAS VEGAS – Nov. 11, 2004 – Internationally renowned golf instructor Butch Harmon, currently ranked #1 in the world, has announced plans for the launch of "The Butch Harmon Vegas Tour," which will commence in June of 2005.
The press conference in this regard was held recently at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada. In attendance with Harmon were Tour Director, Gene Stunkel; Tour Official Director, Sue May; Tour Operations, Darren Knapsted; and Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association's Jane Slauser.
Harmon outlined the tour as a developmental golf tour that will be based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will strive to be the best nationwide developmental tour for those with dreams of making it to the PGA Tour. The Butch Harmon Vegas Tour players will have the opportunity to develop their skills on the finest championship golf courses Las Vegas has to offer. Says Harmon, "By creating this new tour, I want to help identify future stars of golf and further raise the stature of this great game."
The 2005 inaugural season will begin next June, for a four month tournament schedule with 15 three-day tournaments per season, ending with a four-day Tour Championship. Based on a full field of 156 players, the projected regular season tournament purses will be $175,000 and the Tour Championship purse at $600,000. The Tour Championship will consist of the Top 40 money winners from each season.
At the end of each season, Harmon will present the Tour Championship trophy to the Champion and award the Butch Harmon Vegas Tour leading money winner with an all paid entry into the upcoming year's PGA Tour Q-School.
Says Harmon, who has worked with numerous PGA notables on both the domestic and international side, "The Butch Harmon Vegas Tour will be different from other tours, as my staff and I will personally be hands-on in selecting the tour participants, and in manning all facets of the tour."
With the implementation of the new tour, Harmon seeks to give back to the golf community by developing such a tour for the young stars to thrive, and to transition into the PGA tour. Harmon plans to donate all of his personal proceeds from the Butch Harmon Vegas tour to the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association (SNJGA). For more information, please visit www.butchharmonvegastour.com.
The tour schedule will be as follows:
Tournament #1 June 7-9 Rio Secco
Tournament #2 June 14-16 Las Vegas National
Tournament #3 June 21-23 Badlands Golf Club
Tournament #4 June 28-30 Oasis Golf Club
Tournament #5 July 5-7 Paiute Sun Mountain
Tournament #6 July 12-14 Boulder Creek Golf Club
Tournament #7 July 19-21 Primm Valley Lakes
Tournament #8 July 26-28 Siena Golf Club
Tournament #9 August 2-4 Painted Desert Golf Club
Tournament #10 August 9-11 TPC at The Canyons
Tournament #11 August 16-18 Rio Secco
Tournament #12 August 23-25 Casablanca Golf Club
Tournament #13 August 30-September 1 Legacy Golf Club
Tournament #14 September 6-8 Primm Valley Desert
Tournament #15 September 13-15 Boulder Creek Golf Club
Tour Championship September 19-22 Paiute Wolf Course
Contacts:
Rogers & Cowan
Karen Sundell, 310-854-8167
ksundell@rogersandcowan.com
Lori Lousararian, 310-854-8104
llousararian@rogersandcowan.com
Sandy Friedman, 310-854-8109
sfriedman@rogersandcowan.com
