DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley is facing the most important decision in the history of the tour.
The arrival of the LIV Tour, which kicked off with the first event at the Centurion Club last week, has put our tour in a strange predicament.
The PGA Tour have taken a very strong stance and suspended 17 players who chose to play in the LIV opener. It looked like several of them jumped before they were pushed by deciding to resign their memberships.
To date, our tour has been very quiet on the matter so far but there is a lot to weigh up. There have been reports that some of the LIV players want to join our tour.
We entered into a strategic alliance with the PGA in 2020 but while the PGA were quick to take action we haven’t made our position clear yet.
It seems it can only go two ways – either we strengthen our relationship with the PGA Tour and go down the same route as they are taking with LIV players or make an agreement that the players who have joined LIV can play on our tour.
Several of golf’s big names have signed up for the LIV Tour and there have been hints more are ready to make the step.
But some of the world’s top players have been openly critical about the Saudi-backed series.
Jon Rahm’s comments were interesting. He said 54-hole tournaments without cuts weren’t for him. He likes the history of the tournaments and competing against the best players. Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have made similar comments in support of the established tours.
There is a lot of uncertainty over the situation but it is a massive decision which will shape the future of professional golf for many years to come.
Keith’s job is to do the best thing for the DP World Tour.
If we follow the PGA Tour’s stance then what would that mean for players such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia who have made the decision to join LIV? They are three players everyone expected to be European Ryder Cup captains at some point. If we take a hard line on these players then the Ryder Cup itself may be in jeopardy.
I can understand why some players have decided to play in the LIV events. It is a massive amount of money on offer. Richard Bland won more money finishing second in the team event than he did for winning the British Masters.
There are also some players who don’t enjoy golf as much as you think. They see it as a job and it might be very tempting for them to play fewer events, 54 holes rather than 72 and be able to spend more time doing other things, such as spending time with the family.
I don’t know which way our tour is going to go but it is a pivotal decision.
📈 @McIlroyRory’s resume continues to grow.
Byron Nelson
Jack Nicklaus
Arnold Palmer
Tom Watson
Tiger Woods
Rory McIlroyNo one else has recorded 21+ TOUR wins with 4+ major championships before the age of 34 since the inception of the Masters. pic.twitter.com/HwTAs5ChgO
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 13, 2022
There are lots of factors in play such as sponsorship deals and television rights.
It is so important the tour makes the right decision which is why we are probably taking our time on it.
We are at a massive crossroads. However long it takes to come to the decision is probably irrelevant as long as the ultimate decision is the right one.
We have seen ways in which the strategic alliance has benefited the tour, such as helping bring in sponsors for the Irish and Scottish Opens.
It has also opened up playing opportunities for our members on the PGA Tour.
I can see why we joined forces with the PGA Tour with the threat of a new tour coming along.
The PGA Tour decided to act swiftly and as soon as the first ball was hit at the LIV event at the Centurion Club they issued their statement.
The DP World Tour have decided to take a step back but there will be a lot of talks going on behind the scenes.
Whatever happens it has to be right for the DP World Tour as the decision is going to shape the future of our tour for a long time to come.
It is a shame because the speculation has overshadowed Linn Grant’s stunning victory at the Scandinavian Mixed.
She played some brilliant golf to win the event by nine strokes. That was surely doing far more to help grow the game than the LIV tournament at the Centurion Club, despite the coverage it received.
History is made 🏆
Linn Grant wins the #VolvoScandinavianMixed and becomes the first female winner on the DP World Tour. pic.twitter.com/MoaKgHB1B0
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 12, 2022
There were so many golfing highlights on Sunday with Linn’s victory in Sweden and Rory’s fantastic victory at the RBC Canadian Open.
They were great examples of the entertainment on offer on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour at this crucial stage for the future of professional golf.
We should have another entertaining week of golf in store with this week’s US Open in Brookline.
While there is plenty to talk about off the course, hopefully the action will take centre stage when the players tee off today.
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