November 16, 2016 – The European Tour has officially announce the Rolex Series, an exciting new alliance of leading tournaments which will strengthen the golf schedule from the 2017 season onwards.

The innovative concept — launched today with the European Tour’s longest standing partner, Rolex — is one of the most significant advancements in the Tour’s 44 years and will enhance both the competitive and entertainment experience for members and fans around the world.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted to unveil the Rolex Series today and we are committed to developing and building on it over the coming years.

“The Rolex Series will celebrate the highest quality of golf and the international spirit of the game; values that Rolex and the European Tour strengthen with this announcement. We are tremendously proud to have Rolex as our partner in this exciting new venture and we thank them for their continued support.”

Today’s announcement deepens the historic bond between Rolex and the European Tour, which has seen the Swiss company be the proud partner and Official Timekeeper of the Tour since 1997.

Rolex Director of Communication & Image, Arnaud Boetsch, said: “It is with great enthusiasm that Rolex will reinforce its longstanding partnership with the European Tour by supporting the Rolex Series, an innovative advancement in professional European golf. 

“Rolex has enjoyed a unique alliance with golf for over fifty years and this is the most recent development of Rolex’s enduring commitment to the game.

“Across junior, amateur and elite levels, Rolex is devoted to golf’s development worldwide, and we look forward to being a part of the flourishing future of The European Tour.”

In 2017, the Rolex Series will feature a minimum of seven tournaments in seven iconic golfing locations across the world, all offering minimum prize funds of US$ 7 million, with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai featuring a prize fund of US$ 8 million. Plans are in place to increase the number of Rolex Series tournaments in future seasons as part of the multi-year commitment made to the European Tour by the world’s leading Swiss watchmaker.

As the scope of the European Tour expands around the world, golf fans will be brought closer than ever to the leading professionals on the world’s best courses thanks to significantly enhanced television and digital production as well as increased hours of coverage distributed worldwide.

The 2017 Rolex Series will begin in May with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in England and will be followed by two tournaments in July: the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation at Portstewart; and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Dundonald.

The fourth tournament of the Rolex Series next year will be the Italian Open at the Olgiata Golf Club in Rome in October while the final three Rolex Series events will be in November, comprised of the Turkish Airlines Open at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort; the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in South Africa; and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

New Access List to reward all European Tour members

In other way European Tour members, including those who have graduated from the Challenge Tour and Qualifying School, will now have a greater chance of retaining their European Tour cards for the 2018 season through a newly-established Access List which will run throughout 2017.

The Access List will run concurrently with the Race to Dubai but will exclude money earned at the most lucrative tournaments of the European Tour season – the seven Rolex Series events, the Masters and US PGA Championship and the four World Golf Championships. Money earned at The Open and US Open Championships will be included as all members have an equal opportunity to pre-qualify for those tournaments.

The top ten on the Access List at the end of the season, not otherwise exempt from the final Race to Dubai, will then retain their cards for the following season. Consequently, the number of players retaining full membership from the Race to Dubai will be reduced from 110 to 100, with the Access List players being given a category immediately below the top 100 category.

The top performing players on the Access List will also be given the chance to compete against the world’s best players in the Rolex Series, with three spots in the fields of the BMW PGA Championship, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation and the Italian Open, available to the top three players in the Access List at the time.

Keith Pelley said: “We have consistently said that looking after the interests of all our members, whatever their ranking, is a high priority for us and the establishment of the Access List is an important part of that commitment.”