VIRGINIA Water, England — The European tour will return to Turkey and Austria next year while the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa is also back on the 42-event schedule for the 2025 season that begins next week.

The schedule was announced Tuesday, with tournaments in a minimum of 26 countries and a record total prize fund of $153 million outside the majors.

The Turkish Open hasn’t been played since 2019 and will this time be staged at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort from May 8. No event has been played in Austria since 2021, but the Austrian Alpine Open will be played from May 29 and is the 23rd edition of Austria’s national Open.

The Nedbank, which used to be the next-to-last event of the season and significant for the Race to Dubai title, will return as an early season event before the turn of the year.

The season starts with the Australian PGA Championship on Nov. 21-24 as part of what is being labelled the “Opening Swing” containing events in Australia, South Africa and Mauritius. Then comes the “International Swing” including five events in the Middle East, followed by four tournaments in Asia – in the “Asian Swing” – and a run in Europe from May to August.

The tour’s playoffs still comprise the Abu Dhabi Championship and the World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The European tour’s long-term position and future remains somewhat up in the air amid negotiations between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to bring golf back together after the split in the sport.