Leading Chilean golfer Felipe Aguilar has created history in becoming the first non-European to be elected to the European Tour Tournament Players Committee.
The Committee, chaired by Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn is charged with representing the interests of all European competitors.
That task involves anything from recommending the selection new European Ryder Cup captains, agreeing on punishment for breaches of behaviour and more recently increasing to 13, the number of events a member of the Tour must contest to retain membership.
Chilean Felipe Aguilar creates history in becoming first non-European born member of the Players Committee. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Aguilar was approached by Bjorn to apply and his application was seconded by double Masters winning, Jose Maria Olazabal.
“It’s a real privilege to become the first non-European to be elected to the Tournament Committee as there is many things I can suggest to help further improve the Tour,” he said.
“The European Tour is no longer a Europe only tour as it’s very much a world-wide tour, and being South American I feel as though I can bring a different perspective to the committee.
“So I feel it is a good move on behalf of the committee to finally have someone on the committee who was born outside Europe.”
Aguilar will join Bjorn, Paul Casey (Eng), Darren Clarke Nrth Ireland), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Sp), Richard Finch (Eng), Joakim Haeggman (Swe), David Howell (Eng), Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Sp), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Barry Lane (Eng), Paul McGinley (Ire), Colin Montgomerie (Scot) and Henrik Stenson (Swe) on the 15-player committee
Aguilar was born in Valdivia and before turning pro in 1999 had enjoyed a superb amateur career in winning three Chilean Amateur championships in succession from 1990 and also adding the 1992 South American Amateur title.
His first pro career title was the 2002 Chilean Open and he captured four other victories including the 2008 Enjoy Jakarta Indonesian Open on the main Tour and two wins on the Challenge Tour.
Aguilar is among some 40 players who are currently non-European born members of the Tour including the Major winning South African foursome of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen.
“Thomas (Bjorn) actually approached me about three years ago to join the Committee but I didn’t fill one of the requirements to become and member and that was you had to have been a full member for three years,” said Aguilar.
“I completed my three years last year so he approached me again this year and asked me to join so he nominated me and Jose Maria Olazabal seconded me.
“So there are two pretty important names who wanted me on the committee.
“The first meeting now of the committee this year was due to take place in Abu Dhabi but has been moved to Seville during the Spanish Open in May so I am looking forward to making my debut on the committee.”
“I’ve been working on a couple of issues I want to present to the committee.
“But we have to start discussing where the Tour is headed not in two or three years time but in 10 years time, so we have to start thinking down the road.”
