There is going to be a very different feel to this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
It looks like there is going to be more than 15 players from the LIV tour teeing up in this week’s flagship DP World Tour event.
There is going to be a different atmosphere. I know some of the guys who have gone to LIV who are playing this week and others who I don’t know at all.
There are players in the field who have never supported the DP World Tour before but are playing this week because they can.
They were regular PGA Tour players who never played in Europe but suddenly they have spotted an opportunity because they can be in the field on the basis of their top 60 ranking.
That is hard for the players who have graduated from the Challenge Tour and have supported our tour but are not getting a spot in the field.
Qualification for @RyderCupEurope will begin at the 2022 #BMWPGA Championship 💪💪#RolexSeries https://t.co/aWV2Pa5p4e pic.twitter.com/2XtZq6Dqok
— BMW PGA Championship (@BMWPGA) August 30, 2022
This would be a massive opportunity for them to play in a big tournament with a big prize fund but they are going to miss out.
The LIV players have opted to play in another tour, which I don’t mind as it is their right to do that.
But to then decide to play this event and cause issues for our tour and players is difficult for a lot of guys to take.
It is going to be very interesting to see what the reception is like for some of those players. I expect it will be pretty mixed.
Too many tournaments each season?
The golfing landscape is changing but I think the commitment from the PGA Tour to the DP World Tour has given us a bit of security.
It gives our tour time to improve our product.
My own view, which I have held for a long time, is that we have far too many tournaments each season.
The field strength at some events can be poor because players are forced to take weeks off during the season when tournaments are on. You simply can’t travel and play every week.
It means there isn’t as much pressure on having and not having a tour card because those who have just missed out on a tour card are still able to play in quite a lot of events at the moment.
When I was a bit younger, it would be the case that if you didn’t keep your card you might only get a couple of starts the following season.
I think if we had 38 or 40 tournaments per year rather than the current 44 then we could afford to take four weeks off when the PGA Tour are holding their stronger events.
The other key thing is we have to be different from every other tour.
If you are a sponsor why would you want to sponsor an event when you aren’t going to get the top players and on a week when all eyes are on the PGA Tour event in America?
We have to look at how we maximise our schedule alongside the PGA Tour.
Innovation needed
We need to be different and a bit more innovative to capture the imagination.
We need fewer and better tournaments to ensure the sponsors get value for money and the golf fans see something different and engaging.
There will be 10 spots available on the PGA Tour for the 10 leading players on the DP World Tour rankings not already exempt, starting next year.
It will be interesting to see what impact that has.
On the one hand, it is a great opportunity for the players, especially when you see the money that is going to be on offer on the PGA Tour events in the coming years.
It is going to be a great pathway for up and coming players.
But what will be the impact on the DP World Tour? You could lose lots of top players quite quickly over a few years which could harm the product.
There is still a lot of uncertainty but I believe the DP World Tour can remain engaging and relevant if steps are made to ensure our product is as strong as possible.