The NEXT Tour is back for another exciting season of innovative, international competition. The NEXT Tour is a series of professional golf events played virtually on Trackman simulators with significant purses and exemptions for the winners. Both men and women compete on Trackman simulators across the world during a designated window of time and are able to play at their convenience.

Last season, the Czech Republic’s Simon Zach took the Order of Merit title, winning $69,146, funding his season and earning exemptions into DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour events. OOM runner-up Oliver Lilliedahl made over $43,000, which helped fund his season and has led to him being in position to earn a DP World Tour card at the final stage of Q-School.

LPGA player and NEXT Tour winner, Mohan Du, won the women’s Season 4 Order of Merit, and Sweden’s Matilda Cederhold won exemptions on the Epson Tour.

What’s different this season?

Season 5 begins with a series of seven qualifiers to determine who advances to the World Series – three no-entry fee events with purses between $150,000-$250,00 to crown a champion. 300 players will qualify for the first World Series event. The qualifiers have purses and are open to all, but there are specific qualifiers for PGA professionals, PGA Canadian professionals and Epson Tour pros.

What is the entry fee? The entry fees for qualifiers range from $50 to $130. Players also pay for their own local simulator rental fees.

How do I get started?

Step 1 is to enter a qualifier. If you’re a PGA professional, sign up for the upcoming qualifiers beginning this month. The first open qualifier also begins in the middle of November.

What is the entry fee for World Series events?

Zero. Nada. Nothing. There is no entry fee for the World Series tournaments. All you have to do is get through a qualifier. Players who qualified for Season 4’s Tour Championship are also automatically entered.

What comes after the World Series tournaments?

The top 100 players from those events advance to the Tour Championship, which features a $250,000 purse - again, no entry fee. 

Additionally, the Order of Merit winner earns exemptions into six Hotel Planner events and one DP World Tour event. The top-ranked female player at the end of the Tour Championship earns three starts on the Epson Tour in 2026.

Are there side games this season?

Yes, every open qualifier and World Series event has up to $25,000 in cash for side games including Longest Drive for men and women, Closest-to-the-Pin on every par 3, and Aggregate CTP.

What are the field sizes for the qualifiers?

The field is capped at 1,000 players. The first two World Series stages will have 300 players who qualify.

Do I have to play at a set time?

Not really. You have a designated window of time to complete your round and can play at any time during that period.

How do they keep everyone honest?

Every shot is recorded on camera via a mobile app and displayed live on the leaderboard. If there’s a discrepancy, officials can review the footage. All course conditions - wind, pins, and green speed - are identical for every player once you log in.

How do you putt?

The gimme range is set to just under eight feet, so anything inside that distance is automatically holed. Anything outside of that on the green…putt it. 

What’s the biggest difference between sim golf and live golf?

Full shots translate well to simulator play, but success largely depends on your virtual short-game skills. If you’re practicing, spend most of your time on chipping and putting simulations.

Who runs The Next Tour? The Tour is run entirely by Trackman. It’s not a sponsored circuit - it’s a Trackman-operated professional tour.

“If it sounds too good to be true…”

Early on, many players wondered the same. But The Next Tour is now entering Season 5, and Trackman has proven its commitment to helping players advance to the big leagues and funding careers.

Have more questions?

Go to the NEXT Golf Tour website to learn more. Reach out anytime - we’re happy to help.