LocaliQ Series

LocaliQ Series
SportGolf
Founded2020
FounderPGA Tour
First season2020
Ceased2020
CountryBased in the United States
Related
competitions		PGA Tour Canada
PGA Tour China
PGA Tour Latinoamérica
Official websitehttps://www.pgatour.com/la/en/localiq-series.html

The LocaliQ Series, stylized as the LOCALiQ Series, was a one-off professional golf tour played in 2020, organized by the PGA Tour.

The series was announced following the cancellation of much of the PGA Tour's global development tours due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] The tour is aimed at players who would have qualified to play on PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour China in 2020,[3] with places also available to players on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour and sponsor invites.[4] Originally called the XYZ Series, business marketing firm LocaliQ became the title sponsor.

The seven regular tournaments on the tour were contested over 54 holes of stroke play with 144 competitors, a cut line of 55 plus ties, and a minimum prize fund of US$100,000.[2] The series finale was a limited-field event over 72 holes. The winner and the two leaders in the overall series points standings were awarded sponsor exemptions into one tournament on the 2020–21 PGA Tour.[3][5] The series was awarded Official World Golf Ranking status, with four points for winners of 54-hole events and six for the 72-hole championship.

Bryson Nimmer finished top of the LocaliQ Series points standings after winning both of the first two tournaments and finishing as runner-up in the fourth; his prize was an invite to initially the RBC Canadian Open, but that was eliminated because of border restrictions; he was allowed entry into the Palmetto Championship, the one-off replacement event that replaced the RBC Canadian Open. David Pastore won the Series Championship, the circuits final event, to move into second place in the standings and was rewarded with an invite to the 2021 Barbasol Championship. As a result, Carson Young, who finished third in the standings, received the third PGA Tour invite, to the 2021 Puerto Rico Open.[6][7]

With the final event being originally scheduled in The Bahamas, the Local iQ Series points competition was titled as the "Race to The Bahamas", with a tournament win being worth 500 points. The event ultimately was moved to TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia.[8]

The one-off tour resulted in the development of a United States–based third-tier tour, the Forme Tour, in 2021. Like the LOCALiQ Series, the Forme Tour also lasted one season in response to travel restrictions.

  1. ^ Romine, Brentley (July 3, 2020). "PGA Tour moves forward with new 8-event series for international-tour members". Golf Channel. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Schmitt, Tim (July 13, 2020). "New LOCALiQ Series to begin in August; purses to start at $100K". Golfweek. USA Today. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Wacker, Brian (July 14, 2020). "PGA Tour announces eight-tournament series for players from smaller circuits". Golf Digest. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Romine, Brentley (July 10, 2020). "PGA Tour's 'XYZ Series' to award PGA Tour starts, plus more details". Golf Channel. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  5. ^ "PGA Tour's International Tours to start new series of U.S.-based events". PGA Tour. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  6. ^ "Nimmer's dominant season results in points-list title". PGA Tour. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "Pastore holds on, wins LOCALiQ Series Championship by one shot". PGA Tour. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  8. ^ "TPC Sugarloaf near Atlanta will now host LOCALiQ Series Championship". PGA Tour. October 8, 2020.