Golf-PGA Tour's International Tours to launch new series in August

July 14 (Reuters) - The PGA Tour's International Tours on Tuesday announced a new U.S.-based, eight-tournament series that will start next month in Georgia amid the COVID-19 outbreak with sponsor exemptions into the top circuit on the line.

The first seven events of the series, designed for golfers who compete on developmental tours, will be 54-hole stroke-play tournaments played in the Southeastern United States.

The series-ending Oct. 26-30 tournament, a 72-hole event, will be held at a site to be determined.

The champion of the final tournament and the top two players on the series-long points list will receive sponsor exemptions into a 2021 PGA Tour tournament.

"We have so many gifted, hard-working players who were anxious to play this season on their respective Tours before the affects of COVID-19 caused us to change our plans," Rob Ohno, PGA Tour Senior Vice President, International Tours, said in a news release.

"To be able to provide this series and these quality playing opportunities is very gratifying."

The series - which will contested by members from PGA Tour Latinoamerica, Mackenzie Tour–PGA Tour Canada and PGA TOUR Series-China - begins in the first week of August with three events in Georgia. The fourth tournament will be in Alabama, while the next three are scheduled in Florida. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)