Gateway Tour
The Gateway Tour is a third-level men's professional golf tour based in the United States. The top-level of men's professional golf in the U.S. is the PGA Tour and the second-level is the Nationwide Tour, which is the official developmental tour run by the PGA Tour. The Gateway Tour and the NGA Hooters Tour are the level below that. The fourth and lowest level of tour golf is the mini-tour circuit.
The Gateway Tour was founded in 2001 by former Arizona State All-American golfer Chris Stutts. The first season had 14 tournaments and paid out US$ 2.4 million in prize money. By 2006 it had expanded to 59 tournaments with a pay-out of $7.2 million. It should be noted that the prize money is partly funded by the players' entry fees and that it isn't possible to play in all the tournaments as some of them run concurrently. The 2007 tour consists of four series of events:
- Desert Winter Series: runs January to March, based in Phoenix, Arizona
- Desert Spring Series: runs March to May, based in Phoenix, Arizona
- Beach Winter Series: runs January to March, based in West Palm Beach, Florida
- Beach Spring Series: runs March to May, based in West Palm Beach, Florida
The West Palm Beach series originate in the Golden Bear Tour, which the Gateway Tour purchased in March 2005. The regular tournaments are 54 hole events and the Series Championships are played over 72 holes.
The sporting aim of the Tour is to help players to develop their play to Nationwide Tour level and ideally to PGA Tour level. The tour's board of advisors includes Phil Mickelson and Tom Lehman. In 2006 Gateway Tour players earned 10 PGA Tour and 15 fully-exempt Nationwide Tour cards. Tour alumni include Sean O'Hair, Notah Begay, J.B. Holmes, Kevin Stadler, and Bubba Watson.
See also
- Alps Tour, EPD Tour, PGA EuroPro Tour - the three third-level tours in Europe.