The Canadian Professional Golf Tour is a men’s professional golf tour. It was formally started in 1970 and was initially known as the Peter Jackson Tour. The Canadian Tour is not one of six full members of the International Federation of PGA Tours, but it has associated member status, and it is one of the three additional tours on which Official World Golf Rankings points are available. This indicates that it is regarded by the golf authorities are being between the 7th strongest and 9th strongest men’s professional tour in the World.

Besides its Canadian members, the tour has many members from the United States, and a smaller number from other countries. The leading Canadian golfers play primarily on the U.S.-based PGA Tour rather than on their domestic tour.

The Canadian Open, which is the richest golf event in Canada, is a PGA Tour event. The Canadian Professional Golf Tour receives some exemptions for the event, but the prize money does not count towards the Canadian Tour money list. The early season events on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour take place in the United States and Mexico, partly due to the cold Canadian winters. The tour also receives exemptions for a few Challenge Tour events. In 2007 the tour held fifteen standard events (including the Canadian Open), which is an increase of three over 2006, two qualifying schools and a USA v. Canada team match.

Schedule

This link shows the 2008 schedule.

Top Five Players

1.  John Ellis won his first Canadian Tour title at the 2008 Stockton Sports Commission Classic in a playoff over Tommy Barber…Followed that with his second win the very next week at the Corona Mazatlan Mexican PGA Championship by one stroke over Wes Heffernan…5th at the Greater Vancouver Charity Classic…T-8th at the Spring International and the San Luis Potosi Open…T-9th at the Iberostar Riviera Maya Classic…T-3rd at 2008 San Juan Oaks Open…3rd at the 2008 Metropolitan Classic on the Pepsi Tour

2. Daniel Im set a torrid early season pace by winning two of his first three events…Won the Times Colonist Open in a playoff over James Lepp…Won 2008 Iberostar Riviera Maya Open with a birdie on the 18th hole in his first Canadian Tour start…Shot 75-70-71-69-285 to finish T-2nd at 2008 Florida Winter Q-School to earn full status for the season…Played several events on the Asian Tour…Three-time All Pac-10 at UCLA…NCAA All-American Honorable Mention…2006 NCAA Pac-10 Conference Champion…Turned pro in August 2007

3. Adam Bland Finished T-2nd at the 2008 Corona Mazatlan Mexican PGA Championship and the San Luis Potosi Open…T-4th at the Stockton Sports Commission Classic…T-6th at the Greater Vancouver Charity Classic…Enjoyed outstanding rookie campaign on 2007 Canadian Tour with two wins in his first four starts…Qualified for 2007 Canadian Tour after finishing 4th at Winter Qualifying School in California…Won four-man playoff at San Jose International Open in first Canadian Tour start…Captured second title four weeks later with a 64-66 start at the Ford Culiacan Open to win by three. 

4. Wes Heffernan Won 2008 Alberta Open…Finished T-2nd at the 2008 Corona Mazatlan Mexican PGA Championship and the Greater Vancouver Charity Classic…Finished T-7 at Times Colonist Open…Captured the 2008 Dove Canyon Classic on the Golden State Tour…Finished 2nd at the 2008 Carlton Oaks Winter Classic…Continued to build on his 2006 success with an even better 2007…Opened the season with a T-7th at the San Jose International Open before winning the Northern California Classic.

5. Adam Speirs in a very popular victory, Speirs won his first Canadian Tour title at the 2008 Greater Vancouver Charity Classic by one stroke over Wes Heffernan and Byron Smith…Made 5 of 11 cuts in 2007 including his best-ever Canadian Tour finish, a T-2nd at the Riviera Nayarit Classic…T-4th at Northern California Classic…T-9th at Jane Rogers Championship…Played in 2007 U.S. Open…Opened 2007 season with a 79 at the San Jose International Open and then never shot worse than a lone 74 the rest of the season.