The chance to compete against the top players in the world will be on the minds of the Canadian Tour's top players when they tee off at Mill River in the 2000 McDonald's PEI Challenge.
The 11th official stop on the 2000 Tour, the $125,000 McDonald's PEI Challenge (Aug. 24-27) will determine which five Canadian Tour players will spend two straight weeks on the PGA TOUR.
Following the McDonald's PEI Challenge, the top three golfers on the McDonald's Order of Merit plus the next two highest Canadians will earn exemptions into the Air Canada Championship in Vancouver and the Bell Canadian Open in Oakville, Ontario.
Most of the Tour's top players will compete in the 2000 McDonald's PEI Challenge in the hope of either maintaining their current position or moving into the exempt spots.
Included in the field vying for the first-place prize of $22,500 are: Rob McMillan of Winnipeg (currently #2 on the McDonald's Order of Merit); Arron Oberholser of the United States (#3); Philip Jonas of Vancouver (#4); Brian Kontak of the U.S. (#5); Chad Wright of the U.S. (#6) and Ben Ferguson of Australia (#7).
The McDonald's Order of Merit, which tracks official money won, is the most important measure of success for Canadian Tour players.
Some of the past winners of the McDonald's Order of Merit include current PGA TOUR members Mike Weir (1997), Trevor Dodds (1995,96), Chris DiMarco (1992), Guy Boros (1991), Brandt Jobe (1990), Dave Barr (1988, 86, 85), and Dan Halldorson (1983).
McDonald's Involvement with the Canadian Tour goes back a number of years, most notably through its continued sponsorship of the spring and fall qualifying schools.
In addition, Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of Canada (RMCC) is the official charity of the Canadian Tour. Over the last several years, the tour and a number of its players have contributed to RMCC through fundraising and awareness-building initiatives.