Six new events added to European Tour

NEXT season’s European Tour – starting in South Africa on Thursday – will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments, including six new ones, and will once again culminate in the Dubai World Championship.

The season-ending event won by Lee Westwood three weeks ago had its prize fund and money list bonus pool cut by 25% because of the economic situation faced by the property developer sponsors. But the Tour announced yesterday there will be £9million up for grabs again at the Jumeirah Estates next November.

A notable absentee from the schedule is the European Open, which has been played every season since 1977 and has been at The London Club in Kent the last two years.