At the start of 2002, the EuroPro Tour and the PGA Mastercard Tour joined forces to create Europe's third-tier professional tour. With over 500 members and a season’s prize fund exceeding £1 million since 2005, the PGA EuroPro Tour is often the first rung on the ladder for the aspiring European Tour pro. The starting field for the Tour Championship at the end of the season consists of the top 50 players from the 2007 PGA Europro Tour Order of Merit. The top five players on the Order of Merit will gain their tour cards for the 2008 Challenge Tour and the top five players in the Order of Merit will gain automatic entry to Stage Two Qualifying School for the European Tour.