Canadian Tour And The Golf Channel
Sign 10-Year Partnership Agreement

TravelGolf.com Staff Report

ORLANDO, Fla. (APRIL 16, 2001) - A potential audience of more than 30 million will watch live coverage of the first four events on the 2001 Canadian Tour with the announcement today of a 10-year partnership between the tour and The Golf Channel.

Joseph E. Gibbs, president and CEO of The Golf Channel and Jacques Burelle, commissioner of the Canadian Tour, today signed an agreement that will see the Canadian Tour stage in the United States a minimum of four events in 2001 and six tournaments in subsequent years through 2010.

Starting March 2001, The Golf Channel will offer its viewers live, four-round coverage of each event.

"This is a watershed moment in the history of the Canadian Tour," Burelle said from The Golf Channel's corporate and production headquarters here. "This is a crucial step forward in a year that has seen the tour added to both the Official World Golf Ranking and the International Federation of PGA Tours."

Burelle said the lengthening of the tour's schedule, the addition of almost Cdn $1 million a year in prize money and the added visibility in the United States will assist the tour, "in its dialogue with corporate North America about the title sponsorship of what is now becoming a truly continental tour."

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"It's always been part of our mission to bring the entire world of golf to our viewers," said Gibbs. "We look to help enhance the exposure and popularity of the Canadian Tour in the U.S., and showcase great professionals who regularly play north of the border."

"On behalf of the 225 player members of our Tour I wish to sincerely thank Mr. Gibbs and The Golf Channel for the belief in our Tour and support of our efforts. We are convinced this will be a great partnership," added Burelle.

Burelle and Gibbs indicated a search will begin immediately for the six golf courses that will host these tournaments.

For the second year in a row Ericsson Canadian Tour Golf Week - the Tour's weekly half-hour magazine show - will be seen on The Golf Channel every Thursday at 6:30 pm ET from May 25 through Oct. 5, 2000.

The Golf Channel, chaired by Arnold Palmer, is available throughout the United States, Canada and Japan through cable, satellite and wireless companies.

The programming schedule includes more live golf coverage than any other network and brings viewers an extensive blend of PGA, LPGA, BUY.COM and Senior PGA Tours, as well as USGA, PGA of America, European Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Vodacom Tour of Southern Africa competition.

Original programming includes Golf Central, a nightly golf news show; Golf Talk Live, a live call-in golf talk show; Viewers Forum, a live weekly call-in show featuring viewers' feedback on current golf happenings; Academy Live, a twice-weekly call-in show offering viewers an opportunity to improve their game by consulting with top teaching professionals; Leaderboard Report, a statistical weekly recap of tournament play; and The Golf Channel Academy, a series of half-hour instructional programs.

Other programming highlights include celebrity interviews, video tours of the world's great courses, golf classics and other golf specials.

Since the Canadian Tour was re-organized by Canada's touring professionals in the mid-1980s, more than 100 players have graduated to the world's major tours, including the combined winners of 37 U.S. PGA Tour events.

Some of the notable grads include recent PGA Tour winners Kirk Triplett, Mike Weir, Trevor Dodds, Tim Herron, Scott McCarron and Steve Stricker.

The tour's corporate office is located in Toronto, Ontario.