Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open

 
 
Nationwide Tour Announces 2012 Tournament Schedule
 
December 15, 2011
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL. - The PGA TOUR today announced the 2012 Nationwide Tour schedule, which features 27 events, played in 17 states, plus stops in four Latin American countries.
The Tour's 23rd season will begin in mid February with events in Colombia, Panama and Chile.
The Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship presented by Samsung kicks off the 2012 campaign Feb. 16-19.  This will mark the third year the Nationwide Tour has played in Bogota.  Two weeks later (March 1-4), the Tour will be in Panama for the ninth playing of the Panama Claro Championship.  The PGA TOUR's first venture to Chile follows with the Chile Classic presented by Pacific Rubiales at Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago (March 8-11).
The domestic tournament season begins in Louisiana with the Chitimacha Louisiana Open near Lafayette March 22-25.  It will be followed by a pair of California events, the Soboba Golf Classic, which moves from a fall date to April 5-8 dates, and the renamed TPC Stonebrae Championship in the San Francisco Bay area, April 12-15.
The fourth Latin American event is the Mexico Open, which will be played June 7-10 in Leon.
From mid June through the end of October, the Nationwide Tour will play 16 events in 19 weeks in the run-up to the season's finale.  It begins with the Preferred Health Systems Wichita (Kan.) Open from June 21-June 24 at Crestview Country Club, followed immediately by another new tournament, the United Leasing Championship at nationally-ranked Victoria National Golf Club in Evansville, Ind., June 28-July 1.
The Tour's Washington, D.C. area event has a new host organization, new fall dates and a new home.  The Neediest Kids Championship moves around the Beltway to TPC Potomac (Md.) at Avenel Farm, with Oct. 4-7 dates.
The final full-field event of 2012 will once again be the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, played at the home of the PGA TOUR, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.  It will be played Oct. 18-21 and sets the stage for the following week's pressure-packed season finale.
The season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship moves from Daniel Island Club in Charleston, S.C. to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas (Dallas area), where "The 25" leading money winners will be awarded their PGA TOUR cards for 2013 on Sunday, Oct. 28th.  The Championship was held once before at TPC Craig Ranch in 2008.
 "The growth and impact of the Nationwide Tour we saw in 2011 was especially significant," said Bill Calfee, president of the Nationwide Tour.  "Alumni victories on the PGA TOUR reached 320 and were highlighted by seven wins by members of our 2010 class, including 2011 Rookie of the Year Keegan Bradley's extraordinary effort at the PGA Championship.  On the Nationwide Tour, we experienced many memorable story lines and enjoyed one of our best years ever, both competitively and in terms of community impact.
"With today's schedule announcement, the Nationwide Tour continues to strengthen the foundation of its tournament playing schedule for the benefit of its players, sponsors, host organizations, fan base and charity," Calfee added.  "Another wonderful year awaits us on the Nationwide Tour in 2012.  We invite golf fans and the media to follow the unique and exciting season-long quest for "The 25" cards that will be up for grabs beginning in February."
"Entering our 10th year as sponsor of the Nationwide Tour, we've learned to expect an exciting season every year," said John Aman, associate vice president of strategic sponsorships for Nationwide Insurance. "In 2012 we will continue to work hard to support an On Your Side experience for golf fans and competitors at Nationwide Tour events across the country."
Golf Channel, which is available in 83 million households in the U.S., continues to be the Nationwide Tour's exclusive television home in 2012.  In addition to Golf Channel coverage in the United States, Nationwide Tour events can be seen in 176 countries and territories abroad, reflecting the ever-growing international player memberships on both the PGA TOUR and the Nationwide Tour.  Eleven tournaments will air on Golf Channel, including the last five when the competition for "The 25" TOUR cards is heating up and heading to its annual dramatic conclusion.