European Tour will not sanction 2016 WGC-Bridgestone
If Shane Lowry defends his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational next year, he will not earn points toward qualifying for the 2016 Ryder Cup team.
New Euopean Tour chief executive Keith Pelley announced Tuesday that his tour will not sanction the event, explaining that money earned by European Tour members in the event would not count toward the Race to Dubai points race or as official money, and that members would not earn Ryder Cup points based on their finish.
The PGA Tour’s decision to move up the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational as part of its 2015-16 Olympics-affected schedule influenced the decision. The annual event at Firestone Country Club will be played next year from June 30 – July 3, the same week of the French Open, which will be played for the 100th time in 2016. Pelley wants to protect an event that is celebrating its centennial and isn’t changing its date to accommodate golf’s return to the Olympics next year.
“The Alstom Open de France has been a staple on our Tour since 1972 and we are confident that next year’s event, with an increased prize fund alongside the current renovations to the golf course, will properly reflect the importance of the tournament alongside the 100th anniversary celebrations,” Pelley said.
The International Federation of PGA Tours, of which the PGA Tour, European Tour and others are a part, typically sanctions the event. No other tour has announced it will not sanction the 2016 edition of the event.
This creates a potential conflict for 2015 champion Shane Lowry, who will be aiming to make the 2016 Ryder Cup team, but would not earn anything toward the European Ryder Cup points list by defending his title. However, Lowry could still make the team based on his world ranking, and Official World Golf Ranking points will still be offered for the 2016 WGC.
The European Tour is expected to again co-sanction the World Golf Championships event starting in 2017.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
