Next year's LPGA Tour will feature three events less than 2008, largely due to the global financial crisis, Reuters reports.
Although the average tournament purse will remain roughly the same at $1.767 million, total prize money will drop from just over $60 million to almost $55 million, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens told a news conference on Wednesday.
"Each year the schedule evolves with a natural ebb and flow of events but, like many businesses and individuals, the state of the global economy ... has resulted in a slightly different tournament landscape for 2009," she said. "Despite the economic challenges the LPGA is in strong financial condition, stronger than it has been."
The 2009 schedule features 31 events in 10 countries, with several unofficial tournaments expected to be added in the post-season. The Tour will start in Hawaii with the February 12-14 SBS Open at Turtle Bay and end in Houston, Texas with the November 19-22 Stanford Financial Tour Championship.
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