The World Golf Championships will consist of four tournaments: the Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship; the NEC Invitational; and the American Express Championship, all of which will debut in 1999. The World Cup Team Championship will be added to the World Golf Championships line-up in 2000.
“On behalf of the other members of the International Federation of PGA Tours, we welcome Buick as an official sponsor of the World Golf Championships,” said Timothy W. Finchem, Commissioner of the US PGA Tour. “The US PGA Tour has benefited greatly from 40 years of corporate partnership with Buick. We view Buick’s position with these international championships as an expanded commitment of their support for golf.”
The four championships, each with a different format and eligibility criteria, will offer the world’s top players more opportunities to compete against each other. The events are expected to rotate between venues in the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and Southern Africa.
The World Golf Championships are jointly sanctioned by the International Federation of PGA Tours - the US PGA Tour, European Tour, Southern Africa Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and the PGA Tour of Japan.
The prize money earnings of a player competing in the World Golf Championships will count as official money on that player’s home Tour, and therefore as official money on the Federation’s World Money list. Similarly, a player’s performance in World Golf Championships events will be reflected in the Federation’s Official World Golf Ranking.
The World Golf Championships have been developed in such a way as to enhance the competitive structure of professional golf in a global manner, while preserving the outstanding traditions and strength of the individual Tour and their events.
