What is the Clutch Pro Tour?

Michael Weston investigates a new professional circuit with healthy prize pools and mixed fields

- Michael Weston

If you follow the feeder tours – the likes of the Challenge Tour, EuroPro Tour and Alps Tour – you’ll know just how many aspiring professionals there are trying to reach that next level. Turning pro doesn’t give you a licence to print money – far from it. Playing opportunities and experience competing in high-quality fields for significant prize money are what’s needed, and that’s exactly what the Clutch Pro Tour provides. It’s a Tour with one or two differences, too.

Former professional Tom Hayward knows how difficult it is to make that step up; he’s made several appearances on the Challenge Tour and been through the unforgiving process of Qualifying School. Things didn’t work out – a lack of funds, too few events and not many options, feasible ones at least. All those years involved in the game, his “huge passion” hasn’t gone to waste, because he’s now pouring his efforts into “Clutch”.

“For mini-tour players, sponsorship is hard to come by, so I just thought there should be more opportunities out there for players where they can go and win something substantial,” says Hayward. “You win £10,000 at one of our events and you can plan your next six months.”