2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour Application for Affiliate Membership

Transcription

1 IMPORTANT NOTICE 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour Application for Affiliate Membership (For International Players) APPLICATION DEADLINE: 5:00 P.M., Thursday, November 12, 2015 (Japan Local Time) Applications MUST be received by the PGA of Japan by no later than above deadline. Late applications and/or incomplete applications are not acceptable And will be automatically rejected. To those who wish to become an Affiliate Member of the 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour and enter the 2016 Qualifying Tournament, please read the enclosed information and follow application procedures outlined below. Please note that you are unable to enter the Qualifying Tournament unless becoming an Affiliate Member. To become an Affiliate Member, every international player must assign a guarantor who lives in Japan and is capable of communicating in Japanese language. The guarantor is required to act as liaison between the player and the PGA of Japan, and is responsible for ensuring smooth communication. All information from the PGA of Japan, including tournament entries, will be sent to the guarantor s registered address in Japan. Contact for Inquiries: The application to be sent to: Asumi Minowa (MS.) minowa@pga.or.jp International Affairs The Professional Golfers Association of Japan 2nd Floor, Atago-Toyo Bldg Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo , JAPAN Tel: +81-(0) Fax: +81-(0)

2 <Application Procedures> Step 1) Assign a guarantor who lives in Japan and is capable of communicating in Japanese language and have him complete the enclosed Guarantee Letter. Step 2) Pay the total application fee listed below in Japanese Yen (JPY) by bank transfer (any other methods of payment are not acceptable). The Qualifying Tournament Entry Fee Documentary Examination Fee Affiliate Membership Registration Fee: Total Fee: 270,000 yen 270,000 JPY(tax included) PAYING BANK: MIZUHO BANK,LTD. TORANOMON BRANCH PAYING BANK ADRESS: TORANOMON,MINATO-KU,TOKYO, ,JAPAN PAYING BANK TEL: PAYEE'S ACOUNT: No SWIFT CODE: MHBKJPJT PAYEES: THE PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS' ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN PAYEES ADRESS: ATAGO-TOYO BLDG.,2FL ATAGO,MINATO-KU,TOKYO, ,JAPAN Overseas remittance fees and any other additional commissions would be borne by applicants. Without FULL Application fee, 270,000 JPY, an application to enter will be returned. For your reference, it should require a commission about 10,000yen. Please ask for your international bank and pay total amount including commission. We will refund any excess in payment. Note 1: To enable us to identify the payment on receipt, please make sure that the applicant s name is quoted in reference by the issuing bank, and send us proof of payment with your application form. Please also make sure to write down the date of payment in the application form. Note 2: No refund will be given once the above payment was made, except that the entry fee may be refunded only when the applicant became exempt into the 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour after submission of the application and had no need to participate in the Qualifying Tournament. Step 3) Complete the enclosed Application Form and submit it to the PGA of Japan via mail or fax. The application must be received by the PGA of Japan by no later than 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 12, 2015 (Japan Local Time), and must be sent with the relevant supporting documentation listed below: 1: The Guarantee Letter completed by your guarantor who lives in Japan and capable of communicating in Japanese. Guarantor who is assigned by player is obliged to account for entry and shall act as intermediary during a set procedure. Guarantee person will act as liaison. 2: Copy of the membership certificate issued by the PGA of the applicant s home country, 3: Copy of the official document that proves the applicant s nationality or permanent residency (copy of the passport may be accepted), 4: The applicant s golfing career summary,

3 <NOTICE> 1) Successful qualifiers will only be eligible to participate in the Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments on reaching 50 years of age. If a player becomes 50 on the first round of a tournament, he is able to participate in that tournament. Note) Applicants may participate in the Qualifying Tournament before reaching 50. 2) Non-Affiliate Members will not be able to participate in the Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments (including non-official money events), except the Japan Senior Open Golf Championship. 3) The risk of delay or error in transmission lies solely with the entrant. The PGA of Japan will have no liability with respect to any such delay or error and the consequences there from, including rejection of the application. 4) Entries via telephone are not acceptable. 5) No refund will be given once the above payment was made, except that the entry fee may be refunded only when the applicant became exempt into the 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour after submission of the application and had no need to participate in the Qualifying Tournament. 6) The PGA of Japan will adopt a condition of competition that limits players to clubs that conform to the new Groove Regulations for the 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments. The condition of competition regarding grooves may or may not be adopted for non-official money events such as Supported Tournaments and Special Sanctioned Tournaments by the decision of each event. To search for clubs conforming to the groove and punch mark specifications, please contact manufacturers or browse the R&A s database ( The condition of competition regarding grooves will be in effect at the Qualifying Tournament. The PGA of Japan has set the Guidelines (effective from September 4, 2007) that specify the code of behavior and players obligations including attendance at awarding ceremonies/farewell parties and participation in charitable functions at the tournament venues. Please read the enclosed Guidelines and cooperate with us to enhance the goodwill that attaches to the game of golf.

4 <VERY IMPORTANT> 1) With the revision of terms of The PGA Senior Tour Tournament Regulation, under the article 5, paragraph 9, item 6, the eligibilities to the 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments are listed below ELIGIBILITY Those who have won more the 25 official money events since 1973 when the Tour system was enforced. Senior Major tournament winners Senior PGA Championship, The Senior Open, US Senior Open [since 2013] 3. Top 30 players from the previous year's Japan PGA Senior Tour Official Money List. [1-year exemption] 4 Winners of the Japan Senior PGA Championship and the Japan Senior Open. [3-year exemption] 5. Winners of the Japan PGA Senior Tour Official Money List. [3 year exemption] 6. Winners of the Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments. [for the rest of the year he won plus 1 calendar year] 7. Winners of a Japan PGA Senior Tour tournament. [3-year exemption to that particular event] 8. Sponsor invitations. (Maximum 10 spots per event.) 9. The leader of the Japan PGA Senior Tour Qualifying Rankings. Winners of two or more tournaments or one major tournament on the Japanese regular tour. [1-year exemption after becoming 50 year of age] Note) Each of the following six events is considered a "Major tournament": the Japan PGA Championship, the Japan 10. Open Championship, the Golf Japan Series, the Japan Golf Tour Championship, the Japan Match Play Championship and the Philanthropy Tournament. The player may freely choose the exemption year after reached 50 years of age. Special exemptions selected by the PGA of Japan Tour Tournament Committee on the basis of 11. remarkable career. (Full season exemption will not be granted under this category.) Top 5 players and anyone tying for the 5th place of a Japan PGA Senior Tour tournament. 12. [Exemption to that particular event in the following year] 13. The players in position 2-10 on the Japan PGA Senior Tour Qualifying Rankings. Top 20 players from the Combined Career Money List (Japanese regular tour & senior tour) as of the 14. end of the previous year. After a player turns 50, he shall be choose to play in a maximum of 10 official season (Counting from 2016). 15. Leading players on the Japan PGA Senior Tour Qualifying Rankings. To obtain inclusion in the final 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour Order of Merit, All players must participate in minimum of 60% of the total number of the PGA senior tour Order of Merit Tournament in official season. [Except under the category 7,8,12,13,14,15] Failure to play in the minimum number of these tournaments will forfeit his status to be exempt in the following year. 2) Please note that the above eligible players may not be able to enter the Supported Tournaments and Special Sanctioned Tournaments because eligibilities and tournament fields are different from those of the Tour Tournaments. Supported Tournaments and Special Sanctioned Tournaments may require players to participate in a Pro-Am as a condition of entry. 3) Example: How to fill the starting field of a Japan PGA Senior Tour Tournament. Exempt Players 50 + Sponsor Invites Up to 10 + Leading Players from QT 10 = Starting Field 70

5 <Actual number of players from QT Rankings entered the Tour Tournaments in 2015 season> Kanehide Senior (Field of 72) 38 Kyoraku Senior (Filed of 76) 33 Stats Senior (Field of 72) 31 Taiheiyo Senior (Field of 60) 10 Fancl Classic (Field of 70) 21 Hiroshima Senior (Field of 60) 28 Alfa Club (Field of 60) 14 Komatsu Open (Field of 69) 22 Note ) The Japan Golf Association conducts qualifying rounds for the Japan Senior Open to which the PGA Senior QT Rankings is NOT applied as an eligibility category. 4) A player who is taken up sponsored invitation may receive up to 30% of PGA Senior Tour Tournaments (rounded up to the nearest whole number). Past winners of the Japan PGA Championship and the Japan Open Championship may receive unlimited number of sponsor invitations. 5) Monday Qualifying to select sponsor invitations will be conducted at the following PGA Senior Tour Tournaments. A player is considered to have received a sponsor invitation when he entered the tournament through Monday Qualifying. Players who has already received the maximum number of sponsor invitations can not participate in Monday Qualifying. - Fancl Classic: Monday Qualifying is scheduled to be conducted on Monday of the tournament week. 6) Maximum 10 sponsor invitations may be allocated per event. VISA application Respectively players will participate in JPGA events needs an entertainment visa. Please see below a link how to apply for each visa. We will be able to apply to Tokyo Immigration office for COfE in QT ranking finalized. Possibility to any number of tournaments, we will make decision to apply long or short term visa application. Following sheet LONG Contract finalized in Japan Submit documents to the Immigration Bureau and apply for the Certificate of Eligibility When necessary, advance negotiations are held with Immigration. Receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility from Immigration Certificate of Eligibility is sent to the professional athlete outside of Japan Visa application and issuance at a Japanese embassy or consulate outside Japan Entry into Japan with the Certificate of Eligibility and visa * Re-entry permits can be obtained when necessary Sports activities in Japan Contract ends and the athlete returns to the home country SHORT

6 THE 2016 JAPAN PGA SENIOR TOUR QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT <General Information> Host Organizer: The Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (The PGA of Japan) Eligibility: Male professional golfers who reaches 50 or older on or before the first round of the final event of the 2016 Japan PGA Senior Tour. Successful qualifiers will only be eligible to participate in the Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments on reaching 50 years of age. Rules: Play shall be governed by the Rules of Golf of the Japan Golf Association (equivalent to those published by the R&A), and the Conditions of Competitions and Local Rules of the PGA of Japan. <Stage 1> Eligibility: 1) Members of PGA of Japan who obtained the membership before ) Tournament player (TP) members who joined the PGA of Japan after ) Up to 100 Teaching Professional (TCP) members who joined the PGA of Japan after (Pre-Qualifying Stage will be conducted in case that more than 100 TCP members apply to enter.) 4) International PGA members obtaining tour licenses who registered as 2016 affiliate member. Pre-Qualifying Stage will be conducted in case that more than 5 international players apply to enter. You will be informed after the deadline if the Pre-Qualifying Stage needs to be conducted. Site: Date: Format: 36-hole Stroke Play. Ties for the last qualifying position there will be a hole by hole playoff immediately to determine the rank on the hole(s) designated by the committee. The leading players will be able to make a selection from Stage 1 Site. Each venue has maximum of 3 players. Field: Approx. 350 players (in reference to a total participants of 3 qualifying sites in 2015) <Stage 1 Sites> Site: 1 Mangijo Country Club Address: 2 Sakuda Isumi-city, Chiba Practice Day: Monday, December 7, st Round: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 Final Round: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Phone:+81-(0) Site 2: Ise Country Club Seko, Tamaki-cho, Watarai-gun, Mie Phone:+81-(0) Practice Day: Monday, December 7, st Round: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 Final Round: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Site: 3 Higashi-hirono Golf Club Address: , Mitsuda, Shijimi-cho, Miki-city, Hyogo Phone:+81-(0) Practice Day: Monday, December 14, st Round: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 Final Round: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 Site: 4 Takasaka Country Club Yoneyama-course Address: Takasaka, Higashi-Matsuyama-city, Saitama Phone:+81-(0)

7 Practice Day: Wednesday, December 16, st Round: Thursday, December 17, 2015 Final Round: Friday, December 18, 2015 Format: 36-hole Stroke Play (18 holes per day) 1) In the event of not being able to complete 36 holes due to adverse weather or other conditions, play may be shortened to 27 holes or 18 holes. 2) Ties will be decided by the PGA of Japan tie-breaker method outlined below. Number of Qualifiers: Approx players (tentative) - Field of the Final is 120 including Category 1 (approx. 16) and Category 3 (TBD). - The number of players to advance from Stage 1 to the Final will be determined on a pro rata basis from each Stage 1 site. Note: Allocation of Stage 1 Site Applicants will be allocated to the four sites in order of application for averaging the number of contestants in each site, and may not necessarily be allocated to the sites they wished on the application. Once entries have closed, applicants will be notified of the allocated site via mail through guarantee person. <The Final Stage> For more information, please make inquiries to the golf course next January Eligibility: Field: Site : 1) Players finishing 31-50th on the 2015 Japan PGA Senior Tour Official Money List, excluding any fulfilled to participate in minimum of 60% of the total number of the tournament in official season, and international player without their intention which based in Japan. 2) Qualifiers of the Qualifying Tournament from Stage 1. 3) Special exemptions selected by the PGA of Japan Tour Tournament Committee on the basis of remarkable career players 5207, Nishibunkou, Geisei-mura, Aki-gun, Kochi Phone:+81-(0) Date: Practice Day: Tuesday, March 29, st Round: Wednesday, March 30, nd Round: Thursday, March 31, 2016 Final Round: Friday, April 1, 2016 Format: 54-hole Stroke Play (18 holes per day) In the event of not being able to complete 54 holes due to adverse weather or other conditions, play may be shortened to 36 holes or 18 holes. Alternates for the Final Qualifying Tournament No alternates will be added to the Final Qualifying Tournament even if a Stage 1 qualifier withdraws. Notes - Applicants must agree to abide by the Japan PGA Senior Tour Tournament Regulations in order to enter the Qualifying Tournament and the Japan PGA Senior Tour tournaments. - The risk of delay or error in transmission lies solely with the applicant and the PGA of Japan will have no liability with respect to any such delay or error and the consequences therefore, including rejection of the entry. - Private Caddies are not permitted in the Qualifying Tournament Stage 1 & Final. - During official practice and tournament round days of the Qualifying Tournament, no one except for the tournament staffs and media personnel will be allowed to enter the course. - If a player is determined by the On-site Tournament Officials at any stage of the Qualifying Tournament to be noncompetitive, the PGA of Japan reserves the right to remove the said player from the competition. Note: Please refer to the Conduct of Players Guideline.

8 Tie Breaker (PGA of Japan Method) 54-hole event: 1) A player with better score on Hole #18 of the 3rd Round will be in higher place. 2) A player with better score on Hole #18 of the 2nd Round will be in higher place. 3) Further ties will be decided by scorecard playoff counting backwards from Hole #18 of the 3rd Round. 36-hole event: 1) A player with better score on Hole #18 of the 2nd Round will be in higher place. 2) Further ties will be decided by scorecard playoff counting backwards from Hole #18 of the 2nd Round. 18-hole event: 1) Ties will be decided by scorecard playoff counting backwards from Hole #18. <Accommodation for Stage 1> These hotels should be reserved by each player. For reservations contact the hotel directly telling Player for JPGA Senior Tour Qualifying Tournament Please ask the cost and status of booking and any detail. Site1 : Mangijyo Country Club Hotel Time to the course Phone # City inn Mobara Approx. 30 min. +81-(0) Hotel Shinkawa Approx. 30 min. +81-(0) Business Hotel Turtle Approx. 40 min. +81-(0) Mobara Station Hotel Approx. 30 min. +81-(0) Site 2: Ise Country Club Hotel Time to the course Phone # Super Hotel Matsuzaka Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Ace Inn Matsuzaka Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Hotel AU Matsuzaka Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Ise Kokusai Hotel Approx. 20 min (0) Ise City Hotel Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Site 3: Higashi Hirono Golf Club Hotel Time to the course Phone # Kobe Seishin Oriental Hotel Approx. 30 min. +81-(0) Hotel Route inn Ono Approx. 35 min. +81-(0) Site 4: Takasaka Country Club Yoneyama-course Hotel Time to the course Phone # City Hotel Higashimatsuyama Approx. 15 min. +81-(0) Higashimatsuyama Daiichi Hotel Approx. 15 min. +81-(0) Shiunkaku Hotel Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Business Hotel Station Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Sakato Hotel Approx. 25 min. +81-(0) Sakato Grand Hotel Approx. 25 min. +81-(0) City Inn Tsurugashima Approx. 20 min. +81-(0) Details to be announced. Accommodation for the Final Stage

9 Regulation of Practice This regulation has been stipulated to practice fairly for all players and to play as good conditions as possible during the tournament. Only players, caddies, coaches, media, sponsored staff and tour staff and those who have an appropriate tournament budge shall be allowed to enter practice areas; practice range, practice green, approach area, practice bunker and golf course during the practice round. Media and sponsored staff are unable to enter the green including practice green. Practice facilities during the tournament week will be available to only eligible players and 10 players or less on waitlist to play in the PGA Championship including practice round. Players must practice on the designated area and the following regulations shall be applicable: 1. For practice round 3 to 4 players will basically play in a same group 2. Players may use only one practice ball to shot to a green including a stroke from bunker except if; (A)the ball was not on the green then another shot may be allowed (B)another shot for approach from near green except bunkers may be allowed. Players must maintain the conditions of green and the course. It should not be delayed the pace of play for following parings. 3. Players may use 2 practice balls or more for putting practice on the green. It should not be delayed the pace of play for following pairings. 4. Course Protection During the practice round on the practice day, players must shot from the place where tee marks are put, and not play on any place protected by net or roped. Players must carry out thorough getting divot back to where it should be and repairing the ball mark. Players must not damage the course and green during the practice. Ex. they make a line on the practice green and keep putting on the same spot for a long time. 5. Safety If there would be any dangerous situation, tournament committee will announce. Players must obey and practice accordingly. Any practice outside of designated place is prohibited. 6. Bookings Players should book at starter office called master shitsu to play the practice round in advance. If they play without a booking, it would be put a stop to play. 7. Coverage during the practice round In case a player receiving any coverage, he must pay attention to the following pairings not to delay. PGA Tour Tournament Committee Committee Chairman Hiroshi Ueda