PGA Tour mulls South American circuit

The PGA Tour has been spending a lot of time in South America, and not just because of the Olympics.


For the last 18 months, 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.
It would help develop local talent and provide another avenue for any player to find his way to the big leagues.

Think of it as a tour that would be one step below the Nationwide Tour.


And while there remain 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 early as 2012.


With golf returning to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, a series that would provide access to the Nationwide Tour and might offer even minimal world ranking points could increase the number of players in the world ranking from South America and help give golf some momentum on that continent.