The NEXT Golf Tour is a brand new virtual tour launched in 2022 by the CEO and founder of Trackman Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen.
The inaugural season features six individual stroke play 18-hole events played on indoor Trackman simulators, with entry fees costing $130 and guaranteed purses of at least $100,000. The majority of the purse goes to the top 30% of finishers, with some of it reserved for allotted side games including cumulative nearest the pin, longest drive and most greens in regulation.
There's also a $15,000 first prize for the Order of Merit champion at the end of the season.
The new tour is available for all elite players, both men and women, and aims to help and develop "the dreamers, the grinders, the undiscovered talents who still carry their own bag and replace their own divots."
The NEXT Golf Tour's three main goals are to:
- Provide elite players a new way to earn income and develop their brands as professional golfers
- Create a tech-forward environment that encourages serious competition, entertainment and fan engagement
- Serve as a supplement — not an alternative — to established pro golf tours
All rounds must be completed in one session and also must be filmed and uploaded to the NEXT Golf Tour.
The debut season is up-and-running, with the events taking in: PGA West, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Medinah, The Concession, Adare Manor and a yet-to-be-announced course for the final event.
Denmark's Sofie Kibsgaard, who plays for the University of Oregon Women's Golf team, became the first female winner in event three at Medinah, where her five-under-par 67 won her $19,351. She was the third-consecutive Danish winner in the inaugural season of the NEXT Golf Tour.
During tournament play, the setups for each virtual course, including green speeds, hole locations and wind settings, are the same for all golfers. Men and women compete from different tee boxes.
