PGA Tour thrives as Europe suffers

As European golf chiefs battle to retain sponsors and a healthy schedule their compatriots across the Atlantic are basking in the game’s high profile stateside.

So much so that the PGA yesterday announced its 2013-14 listing yesterday, a virtual repeat of this year’s version except for the first-time the season will straddle two calendar years with the opening tournament next month.

The tour season stars at the Frys.com Open (October 10-13) and continues with five more events — including three overseas — before a six-week break and the resumption of the schedule with two January events in Hawaii which had previously signalled the start of the season. That’s all in marked contrast to the European equivalent which has struggled through the economic downturn over the past five years. Earlier this month the biggest golf tournament in India was scratched from next year’s schedule after The Avantha Group, which sponsored the first four years of the tournament, pulled the plug.

While last year the Majorca Open, Czech Open, the Madrid Masters, the Castellon Masters and the Andalucia Masters were amongst the high profile events canned due to lack of sponsors and other issues.

In addition to the Masters at Augusta National (April 10-13), the major championships are as follows: the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 (June 12-15) in North Carolina; the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool (July 17-20) in Hoylake, England; and the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club (Aug. 7-10) in Louisville, Kentucky.

PGA Tour schedule 2013/2014

October: 10-13: Frys.com Open; 17-20: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open; 24-27: CIMB Classic;31-Nov. 3: WGC-HSBC Champions.

November: 7-10: The McGladrey Classic; 14-17: OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

2014

January: 3-6: Hyundai Tournament of Champions;9-12: Sony Open;16-19: Humana Challenge; 23-26: Farmers Insurance Open; 30-Feb. 2: WasteManagement Phoenix Open.

February: 6-9: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am;13-16: Northern Trust Open; 19-23: WGC-Accenture Match Play; 27-March 2: Honda Classic.

March: 6-9: WGC-Cadillac Championship; 6-9: Puerto Rico Open; 13-16: Valspar Championship; 20-23: Arnold Palmer Invitational; 27-30: Valero Texas Open.

April: 3-6: Shell Houston Open; 10-13: Masters Tournament; 17-20: RBC Heritage; 24-27: Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

May: 1-4: Wells Fargo Championship; 8-11: The Players Championship; 15-18: HP Byron Nelson Championship; 22-25: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial; 29-June 1: Memorial Tournament.

June: 5-8: FedEx St. Jude Classic; 12-15: U.S. Open; 19-22: Travelers Championship; 26-29: AT&TNational.

July: 3-6: The Greenbrier Classic; 10-13: John Deere Classic; 17-20: The Open Championship; 24-27: RBC Canadian Open; 31-Aug. 3: WGC-BridgestoneInvitational; 31-Aug. 3: Reno-Tahoe Open.

August: 7-10: PGA Championship; 14-17: Wyndham Championship; 21-24: The Barclays; 29-Sept. 1: Deutsche Bank Championship.

September: 4-7: BMW Championship; 11-14: The Tour Championship; 26-28: Ryder Cup.