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Affiliate Future Tour Membership

Introduction
This information must be read in conjunction with PGA Membership Regulation 7.4 – Affiliate Membership – Future Tour Member (AFTM), which outlines who is eligible to become such a Member along with their playing and voting rights (* see below).

The information below provides the key points applicable to AFTM’s with a full outline of the programme being available through contacting James Nicholls via [email protected]

Eligibility and Activation
To become eligible to join as an AFTM, an amateur golfer must first secure a position into the field of a PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit tournament.

The pathways to securing such a position are:

Through designated Elite Amateur invite positions into tournament fields;
Through Tournament Invitations, when the number of Elite Amateurs being considered for an invite exceeds the number of Elite Amateur invites available; and
Qualifying through a Pre-Qualifying Tournament into an eligible tournament (Non PGA titled events).

In order to become an AFTM, the eligible amateur must pay the designated membership fee prior to playing in the first PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit tournament that they have become exempt into and through which they wish to earn Future Tour Order of Merit points.

Points won by them in this tournament and from any other PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit tournament that they secure a position into during the same season will count towards the Future Tour Order of Merit.

Becoming an AFTM does not guarantee that Member an exempt position in any future PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit tournament during that season.

Future Tour Order of Merit
The Future Tour Order of Merit is completely independent of the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and is based on a points system. Any AFTM who makes the cut in a PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit tournament will be allocated points to the equivalent value of prize money they would have earned had they been a professional in the field.

The Future Tour Order of Merit will run concurrent to the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit season.

The PGA Tour of Australasia will administer the Future Tour Order of Merit (FTOOM) and will provide access to all AFTM’s to the current FTOOM showing points accumulated at the conclusion of each PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit tournament.

Opportunities Available to Future Tour Members
Should the winner of the Future Tour Order of Merit for the specified season earn the number of points that would equate to them finishing in the Top 50 of the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, they will be eligible for a Tournament Exemption Category for the following season, the positioning of which will be advised when the Tournament Exemption Categories are released to the Membership for the following season.

Should those AFTM’s who finish in positions two (2) and three (3) of the Future Tour Order of Merit for the specified season earn the number of points that would equate to them finishing in the Top 50 of the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, they will also be eligible for a Tournament Exemption Category for the following season, the positioning of which will be directly below that of those Members who finished in positions 51-60 from the Final Order of Merit.

However, should no AFTM accumulate sufficient Future Tour Order of Merit points to match or better the money won by the 50th ranked Member of the Final Order of Merit, then there will be no Tournament Exemption Categories allocated for the following season.

An Affiliate Future Tour Member who is successful in securing a Tournament Exemption Category with the PGA Tour of Australasia for the following season may utilise this category by retaining their Amateur Status but, if they become a professional prior to that season commencing they will be eligible to utilise that category as a Full Member of the PGA Tour of Australasia. They may also attend PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School in order to try and improve their ranking as a professional.

*PGA of Australia Membership Regulation 7.4

7.4 Future Tour Member

7.4.1 Eligibility
A person who is not otherwise eligible to be a Full Member (Tournament); has amateur status; is exempt into a PGA Tour of Order of Merit Tournament; indicates their intention in writing to take up membership on the applicable application form; and pays the fee as determined by the Board from time to time prior to competing in the PGA Tour Order of Merit Tournament, from which they wish their points earned to count towards the Future Tour Order of Merit.

7.4.2 Playing Rights
Subject to the Conditions of Competition and any other criteria in place for a Tournament the person may enter and compete in PGA Tour Order of Merit Tournaments.

7.4.3 Voting Rights
Future Tour Members;

(i) may not receive notice of, attend or vote at any meeting of Members;
(ii) is not entitled to stand for or hold any office of the PGA.