The Nationwide Tour will be leaner and meaner in 2011, dropping from 29 events to 26, a sign of the economic times in the professional golf industry.
The Melwood Prince George’s County Open reamins in its familiar slot on the schedule, running from May 30-June 5 at the University of Maryland Golf Course.
The biggest change to the Nationwide Tour comes at the front of the schedule, where kickoff events in New Zealand and Australia have disappeared. Tournaments in Panama (Feb. 24-27) and Colombia (Mar. 4-7) now will open the season. Also gone is the Fort Smith Classic (Arkansas).
Other changes were minor. The Rex Hospital Classic (Raleigh, N.C.) shifts from before the Melwood to the week after. The Preferred Health Systems Open (Kansas) moves from August to June (13-19). The Utah Championship (Salt Lake City) shifts from September to July (25-31). The Jacksonville Open (Oct. 20-23) moves from Dye’s Valley Course to the TPC Sawgrass.
