After careful considerations and discussions with the Board of Directors, the PGA of BC is pleased to announce the following changes to the 2016 Tournament program:

2016 TOURNAMENT MANUAL & HARD CARD
The 2016 PGA of BC Tournament Manual is very similar to the 2015 version however; we have implemented some adjustments to the PGA of BC Conditions of Competition and Standard Local Rules. With the changes to the Rules of Golf for 2016, it is important that you review this document and ensure that you are familiar with the changes if you plan on playing in PGA of BC events this year.

QUALIFICATION FOR BC ASSISTANTS' TEAM
In order to align both teams competing in the Inter-Zone matches at their respective National Championships, the PGA of BC has made a change to the qualification for the 2016 BC Assistants' team. Similar to the qualification for the Club Professional Championship team, the Assistants' Team will be comprised of the top four finishers at the PGA of BC Assistants' Championship. This strategy will allow competitors an additional two months to manage schedules and travel arrangements, as well as to help field the best possible team.

PGA OF BC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
After careful review of information gathered over the past several years, the Board of Directors have made the difficult decision to defer the Women's Championship until further notice. Regretfully, a steady decline in participation made it difficult to justify the Association's limited resources and time however, the Association recognizes the importance of continuing to award a Champion female golfer of the year. Thus, the Association will present the PGA of BC Women's Championship trophy to the low female golfer at the PGA of BC Championship.

ORDER OF MERIT
In order to increase parity throughout the province, a change has been made to the Order of Merit from a dollar-based standing, to a points-based system. Each Regional Tour will continue to hold 10 events (selected by the tours' representatives) on their schedule that will be Order of Merit-eligible. For a full list of Regional Tour events please visit the Affiliated Regional Tours page on our website. Please note that the Kootenay Pro Tour only holds nine events that count towards the PGA of BC's Order of Merit. It is also important to note that the Player of the Year will no longer be determined directly by the Order of Merit, but rather a recommendation by a committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The Order of Merit will be heavily influential in the selection process, in addition to the consideration of other events, such as national events and championships.

For a complete breakdown of the Order of Merit point allocation for 2016 PGA of BC Championships and the affiliated regional tours, please click here. One final note, with respect to the Order of Merit breakdown: If you are a member that qualifies for both the Seniors' Championship and the Club Professional Championship, you will receive the higher of the two Order of Merit points, depending on your finish.  

Please find below the regional tour events that are eligible for the 2016 PGA of BC Order of Merit:

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN To these points above, I am happy to announce that registration for all 2016 PGA of BC tournaments is now open. Please visit our Tournaments and Events section of the website to register. As a reminder, registrations completed 21 days prior to the event or earlier will qualify for the early registration rate.

For more information, please contact: 
Russell MacKay
Membership & Events Manager
PGA of British Columbia
Office: (604) 303-6766
Cell: (604) 364-7615
russsell@pgabc.org