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About The Trust

Ryder Cup Limited had been a 50/50 joint venture between The European Tour and The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited. In 2004 a new Ryder Cup agreement was drawn up, to involve The PGAs of Europe through a charitable trust, changing the split to 60/20/20, with the European Tour becoming the managing partner. At the same time the Ryder Cup European Development Trust was created, in order to allow Ryder Cup to put even more back into grass roots golf across the continent. The PGA remained significantly involved as the founding partner.

Partners

The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited

The PGA is a members' organisation for golf professionals. It has been at the heart of the game since 1901, when professionals of the day, led by the Great Triumvirate of JH Taylor, Harry Vardon and James Braid, formed an organisation to protect the professionals' interests and promote the game of golf.

Now based at Centenary House at the famous Belfry, scene of four Ryder Cups, the Association is flourishing with more than 7,000 members. Many are club professionals specialising in the core subjects of coaching and retailing, but increasing numbers are occupying managerial roles within golf clubs and resorts, both at home and overseas.

The PGA is dedicated to training and serving golf professionals whose principal aim is to offer a highly professional service to amateur golfers at a club, driving range or other golf establishment.

The PGA plays a significant role at different levels, from junior coaching through to government level, where it is helping formulate and determine policy for the sport. This includes active involvement with the England Golf Partnership's Whole Sport Plan, Club Golf Scotland, Golf Development Wales, Junior Golf Ireland and the implementation of the UK Coaching Certificate for golf.

Over the last 40 years there have been significant changes which included a major restructure of the PGA in 1984, when the tournament playing division separated completely to form the PGA European Tour.  The PGA still retains close ties with the Tour and is a Ryder Cup partner as the trustee of the actual Ryder Cup trophy donated by Sam Ryder. Its European links are further strengthened through the involvement of the PGAs of Europe.

The European Tour

The PGA European Tour, a company limited by guarantee, operates a broad range of business initiatives essential to its primary mission of administering professional tournament golf. It is a unique business which generates profits for the benefit of the Members - the tournament players - who receive their dividends by way of competing and winning prize money.

The growth and development of The European Tour is well documented. In 2008 The European Tour International Schedule consisted of 50 tournaments in 25 countries with prize money of €116,892,269 (£92,867,458) compared to a total prize fund of £250,000 when the Tour was born in 1972. The European Challenge Tour and the European Senior Tour had prize funds of €6,017,394 (£4,694,487) and €7,729,284 (£5,985,197) respectively in 2008. The European Challenge Tour consisted of 33 tournaments in 24 countries and the European Senior Tour 18 tournaments in 13 countries.

The funds drawn from sponsors and suppliers, television and ticket sales, hospitality and governments, support a thriving international community in which The European Tour actively promotes the game at all levels.

The PGAs of Europe

The PGAs of Europe comprises some 29 member countries and controls the third partner in Ryder Cup Europe. The PGAs of Europe is an Association of individual European country PGAs whose objective is to act as a support role to individual PGAs on a business-to-business basis. It strives to raise standards and opportunities collectively across Europe in the education and employment of golf professionals as well as representing member countries with governments and other legislative and influential bodies in the promotion of the game and the interests of professional golfers in general.

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