Over the last 18 months, PGA Tour officials “have been meeting with golf federations of several countries with hopes of starting a PGA Tour-branded circuit in South America, Latin America and the Caribbean,” according to Doug Ferguson of the AP. Expanding the PGA Tour “would help develop local talent and provide another avenue for any player to find his way to the big leagues.” Ferguson noted while there are "significant details to work out -- not only finding an umbrella sponsor, but the number of tournaments and eligibility criteria -- the plan is for this series to begin” as soon as ’12. PGA Tour Exec VP/Int’l Affairs Ty Votaw said, "It's a part of the world where the development of elite players is something that we see as being an opportunity.” Votaw indicated that the “idea is for about 12 to 14 tournaments from eight countries.” Additionally, the proposed expansion will not “replace the Tour de las Americas, but work alongside it." Votaw noted that a Nationwide Tour event in Colombia “would continue.” With golf set to return to the ’16 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, “a series that would provide access to the Nationwide Tour and might offer even minimal world ranking points could increase" the number of South American players in the world rankings and “help give golf some momentum on that continent.” Votaw noted that the plan is “not entirely driven by the Olympics, although it has sped up the process” (AP, 6/7).
