The World Golf Championships are viewed
as some of golf's most prestigious competitions.
They also represent a bold step toward
internationalizing the game. This global
series of Championships are the first
events ever to be jointly sanctioned
by the world's six major golf Tours
(the PGA TOUR, European Tour, Japan
Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia,
Southern Africa Tour, and the Asian
Tour) which, collectively, form the
International Federation of PGA Tours.
When the World Golf Championships
began in 1999, the prize money was
$5 million with $1 million going to
the winner, the only seven-figure
payoff at an official tournament.
The only events that offered more
than $3 million in prize money were
the majors, the Players Championship
and the Tour Championship.
The NEC Invitational at Firestone
began as a tournament for only Ryder
Cup and Presidents Cup players. When
too many players complained they were
being left out, the NEC added the
top 50 in the world ranking and certain
tournament winners, nearly doubling
the size of the field.
In addition to the Umbrella Sponsors,
each World Golf Championships event
has a select group of Official Sponsors
who play a vital role in the success
of each Championship. The Official
Sponsors are listed on each specific
World Golf Championships page.
The International Federation of PGA
Tours is pleased to partner with all
these prestigious companies who share
the vision of presenting various formats
of competitive golf, at the highest
level, on the international stage
for the benefit of golf fans worldwide.
|
