Until now that is. Speaking to a small group of journalists on the eve of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Pelley broke his silence. Which is not to say he was able to say too much. Citing the presence of a non-disclosure agreement, the 59-year-old Canadian was firmly circumspect and almost entirely non-specific in his responses to queries about where the DP World Tour is likely to sit within golf’s eco-system when the current discussions eventually come to an end.

“I can’t give you much comment,” Pelley says. “I think there has been a tremendous amount of speculation, a tremendous amount of rumors. But the conversations we are having will be in the best interests of global golf and the best interests of the DP World Tour. I won’t comment on specific formats or seasons as all those conversations are confidential. But, as I’ve said internally, things have heated up since the Ryder Cup. Discussions have intensified. Outside of that, I can’t make any comment or speculate on anything.”

Not even who the PGA Tour might be talking to?

“Obviously I’m abreast of those conversations and I am in regular dialogue with [PGA Tour commissioner], Jay [Monahan],” Pelley says. “He sent out a player note [Tuesday], but I can’t be specific about anything. I wish I could, but I can’t. I will only reiterate that, from my involvement since the Ryder Cup, it is clear that all three partners in the framework agreement are committed to bringing the agreement to a conclusion as soon as possible. We are having more and more conversations, and I will have more talks with Jay this weekend as well as a proper debrief.”

Despite Pelley’s inability to discuss in any depth what everyone on the DP World Tour is talking about, there is no shortage of conjecture and opinion elsewhere on a variety of topics. On the cynical/skeptical side of the debate, the air of resignation/realism for where the Old World circuit stands, even in relation to the PGA Tour alone, is well-honed:

We’re just the little guy here getting pushed around with no leverage. We can’t compete. We have to make the most of the bad cards we’ve been dealt in this global game.

Arguably the most controversial and divisive part of the PGA Tour/DP World Tour’s partnership that guarantees record prize money on the DP World Tour for at least the next five years (with an option for eight more years) is that the leading 10 players in the Race to Dubai rankings at the end of the season not already exempt will earn PGA Tour cards for the 2024 season and, as it happens, a guaranteed stipend of $500,000.

“I’ve struggled understanding the criticism of this,” Pelley says, “because, first and foremost, as administrators, it is one of our key performance indicators to create the maximum earning potential for the members. On Sunday, 10 members will be granted a minimum of $500,000, with an opportunity to increase their earning potential. I also believe it will give the players who have those cards a much better opportunity to prepare and shine in the three majors prior to July and bring them back as bigger stars.”

In this, Pelley has a powerful ally.

“The European Tour has already benefited from all that has gone on,” says Rory McIlroy, the now five-time European No. 1. “Everyone talks about losing 10 players every year to the PGA Tour. But that is inevitable anyway. Now they have an official pathway. You can’t hide behind the fact that the PGA Tour is where every player wants to be. That’s a fact of life. We’re not back in the 1980s and 1990s. That’s not where the world is. So the European Tour will continue with stronger prize funds for those who can’t make it to the PGA Tour. The tour has been strengthened for most players.”

Still, throw in the fact that PGA Tour players who finish between Nos. 126 and 200 on this year’s FedEx Cup points list can take up full membership on the 2024 DP World Tour and many in Europe feel like they are giving up 10 of their best and getting some of “America’s worst” in return.

“The 10 cards thing is controversial, but it will be hugely beneficial to the lads going,” says former U.S. Open champion, Matt Fitzpatrick. “But it diminishes the quality of the European Tour as a whole. So I’m not sure it is going to benefit the tour in the long term. Maybe the best way to a better product is to copy football [soccer] and have divisions with promotion and relegation. There would be great story lines in all of those. But you have to make the premiership a world tour, which is what should have evolved ages ago.”

Indeed, more than a few DP World Tour members agree with Fitzpatrick, at least when it comes to “giving up” prize assets on an annual basis.

“It’s hard to know what the overall sentiment is over 160 guys,” says another player, who asked for anonymity. “There are many ways to look at it, from a European perspective. If you’re a player with ambitions to play in America, and many do, there is no reason why your morale should be anything but very good. You’re playing for more money over here and you have a great opportunity to make it onto the PGA Tour. That’s brilliant.

“But I can see guys going [to the PGA Tour] through February-March-April to test the waters. Then they can make a decision about fully committing or not. If not, you would sacrifice the half-million. But I can still see guys coming back at that point. A lot will depend on where they are from. The continentals might find it difficult culturally. Being happy and playing for $2.5 million [on the DP World Tour] is maybe better than being unhappy and playing for $6 million [on the PGA Tour]. It will be fascinating to see.”

After an impressive 2023 season on the DP World Tour, Adrian Meronk will now have the chance to jump to the PGA Tour. Some say that is a benefit for DP World Tour members, others think it will waterdown the tour by losing its best players. Image: Richard Heathcote

Also evoking interest is the reaction of many players contacted for this story. “Keep your head down” is one piece of golfing advice that has long been discredited. But it is a policy a number of DP World Tour players are currently following. Many asked not to be named, not because they are worried about incurring the wrath of Pelley. No, it is more because of the “look” that results from highly paid sportsmen moaning about their lot in life.

“I just don’t want any blowback,” says one, summing up the prevailing mood. “You say what you think. Someone reads it and it’s out on social media. It’s just not worth the hassle.”

Then again, former Ryder Cup captain and current Golf Channel pundit Paul McGinley is one who is happy to talk, taking a more pragmatic view of the strategic alliance.

“We can’t have everything our own way,” says the Irishman, a past member of the DP World Tour’s board of directors. “When you do a deal with the Americans, you can’t get everything you want. We don’t have that leverage. So we have to give up some things. They want to take the top players. That’s OK. So what do we do for those left? We guarantee prize funds. That’s a pretty good deal. We lost on one side, gained on the other. If the PGA Tour is going to give us a lot of money, we have to give them something in return. It can’t be a one-way street. A strategic alliance is a two-way street.”

OK, time out. What exactly would constitute a state of affairs even close to a Euro-centric ideal when the talking is done?

“The best result is the framework agreement comes to a conclusion and we enter into a definitive agreement as partners with the PIF and the PGA Tour,” Pelley says. “That would benefit global golf in general and then we can focus on making our respective businesses grow. Unifying the game is our commitment.”

More specifically, McIlroy has a more detailed version of nirvana.

“I’d like to see something similar to a worldwide Formula One schedule of, say, 20 events,” he says. “Three of the four majors are in the States. Fine. Throw in a few of the top events on the PGA Tour, the Memorial, Riviera, that sort of thing. Then add things like the Australian Open. I get the stranglehold that America has had on professional golf for the last 20 years. It is what it is. Corporate America is where the biggest money is. But it is time for the PGA Tour to spread its wings and go worldwide. We need to create a product for the top players in the world that everyone strives to be in.

“This has to be seen as an opportunity,” concludes the world No. 2. “We have arrived at the inflection point for golf. If we don’t do anything now with all that is going on, we’ll never do it. This is the opportunity to change the landscape of our sport, something that comes along maybe once in a generation. And this is the time.”

But still, it remains to be seen, as the talking continues, exactly where the DP World Tour fits in a hopefully brave new world.

Main Image: David Cannon

The post The future of the DP World Tour is unclear, but its demise has been greatly exaggerated appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Lefty has been adamant that the truth would come to light eventually, that LIV Golf would ultimately be a good thing for the sport and it’s “global growth.” After plenty of initial resistance, it appears PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, as well as DP World Tour commissioner Keith Pelley, have succumbed to that fact.

Upon reading the news, Mickelson sent exactly the tweet you’d expect him to send:

Awesome day today ? https://t.co/qUwVJiydym

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 6, 2023

Simple, to the point, and, in all honesty, kind of classy for a guy who loves to brag and dunk the basketball any chance he gets. We’re sure he’ll get around to doing that in due time, but for now he’s just smiling, nodding, and very likely thumbs-upping himself in the mirror. Give it an hour, and #PhilWasRight will be trending. 

Here was fellow LIV golfer and PGA champion Brooks Koepka’s take:

Welfare Check on Chamblee

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023

Straight for the jugular. Man needed a win after his Florida Ps took an absolute beating last night to go down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Below is a mix of reactions from the rest of the golf world:

Love finding out info on twitter. This is amazing. Y’all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer

— Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) June 6, 2023

I’ve grown up being a fan of the 4 Aces. Maybe one day I get to play for them on the PGA Tour!

— Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) June 6, 2023

Good time make a golf show! https://t.co/AQZc4KGOdY

— Chad Mumm (@chadmumm) June 6, 2023

Hideki could have bought spirit airlines if he had signed with liv tour.

— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 6, 2023

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.

— Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

pic.twitter.com/dndiYfJ12u

— Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) June 6, 2023

Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past 2 years. The hypocrisy. Wish golf worked like that. I guess money always wins @PGATOUR

— Dylan Wu (@dylan_wu59) June 6, 2023

Wow Benedict…. I mean, Jay. Didn’t stand your ground very long.

— Ryan Blaum (@RBlaumGolf) June 6, 2023

Now that we’re all friends, is it too late for us to workshop some of these team names? pic.twitter.com/O8EDVqKClz

— max homa (@maxhoma23) June 6, 2023

Was having quite the nice practice session this morning too pic.twitter.com/qWBKuM2yHO

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 6, 2023

What a wild time to be alive (and also to be a golf fan).

The post Phil Mickelson sent exactly the tweet you’d think upon news of the PGA Tour-LIV merger appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In a 90-page document, the (binding) arbitration body upheld the DPWT’s inherent right to enforce its conflicting-release regulations and so sanction players who violate those policies. For chief executive Keith Pelley, this represented complete vindication of rules “put in place by our members for our members.” But, Pelley was quick to emphasise, this was a result that can only be a starting block from which to build momentum.

So it was that — forgetting the opening round of the Masters — Pelley headed back to tour headquarters at Wentworth without delay. There, his plan was to spend “the next 30-45 days” considering every aspect of their newly strengthened position along with the tour board and the hugely influential tournament players committee.

Truth be told, the list of questions needing answers is lengthy. As ever, the DPWT is a circuit not without problems. Its season featured too wide a range of events: A string of nondescript tournaments follows the lucrative Middle East Swing in January/February. Not until after the US Open in June do things pick up around the Open Championship. But thereafter torpor largely resumes, broken only by the prestigious BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in September and, every two years, the Ryder Cup.

“The idea the tour won the arbitration is suddenly greater than the reality that they need to look at their product,” says one tour insider. “The DPWT is weaker than at any stage in its history. Too many ‘nothing’ events. Too many ‘nothing players’ competing for close to nothing, with close to nobody watching in person or on TV. It’s a dire state of affairs. They need to escape the clutches of the PGA Tour. That needs to be priority one. I just don’t see any benefit to that other than to the PGA Tour.”

Indeed, even those of a less cynical nature have pointed to the lack of a European presence on the list of “designated events” that have become a feature of the PGA Tour in response to the millions on offer elsewhere from LIV Golf and its Saudi benefactors. In turn, that has led some to conclude that the PGA Tour investment in the DPWT, the self-described “strategic alliance”, was nothing more than a pay-off designed to keep what was the European Tour out of Saudi clutches.

Jay Monahan and Keith Pelley. Ross Kinnaird

That, however, is far from a view shared by all. As part of the new relationship between the two biggest tours on the planet, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sits on the DPWT board, a fact former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley calls “important.”

“Jay is fully invested and consulted when big decisions are made,” says McGinley, a DP World Tour board member until last month. “The PGA Tour has invested millions in the DPWT. So we have money. There is long-term security. And the PGA Tour now has a vested commercial interest in the DP World Tour. They want us to succeed because of commercial reasons. They cannot walk away from such a sizeable investment. The PGA Tour wants us to succeed. If we win, they win.”

Speaking of which, one of the biggest benefits the DPWT will gain from the arbitration victory is the ability to dictate and control any on-going relationship it wishes to have with the LIV players. Another reality: The DPWT is a commercial entity. But money doesn’t flow in as many think it does. Its business model is a fraction of that at the PGA Tour. The phrase “feeder tour” is used in a derogatory way, but that is the DPWT’s reality. There is no way it can stand toe-to-toe with the PGA Tour. So it can never do anything other than fill a distant second place.

Given that relatively precarious financial status, what happens with regard to any fines or suspensions is a big consideration. Right now, the only certainty is that those who were fined £100,000 and suspended for two events last July are again liable for those punishments. That said, it is hard to see anyone being fined that same amount for every LIV event played. More likely, there will be a negotiated compromise, which means there is a way back for the LIV guys. But only on the DP World Tour’s terms.

That is the key phrase moving forward. How tough the DPWT is going to be on those players who chose to leave DPWT and move into the financially comforting embrace of LIV is now entirely up to Pelley and his team.

There are three obvious options:
A) Thank you very much for your service guys, but you can’t ever play on the DP World Tour again.
B) Carry on as before. Play as much as you want on the DPWT because you enhance our generally weak fields.
C) Something between A and B that allows specific LIV players into specific DPWT events — but only those of our choosing.

The likelihood is that C will win most favour. For all their faults in the too-often sorry affair that has been LIV Golf over the last couple of years, the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson continue to carry a healthy level of celebrity, especially in their native lands. Put their names and notoriety on any billboard and crowds will inevitably gather.

Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter are seen talking in the locker room during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational in Bedminster. Jared C. Tilton/LIV Golf

So the potential benefits to the DPWT are clear. Now that LIV players can’t cherry-pick the biggest European events as they did before the arbitration verdict was announced, the DPWT has the ability to dictate terms if and when LIV players are allowed to compete. There is likely to be a commercial reason to welcome back a LIV player to an event in his home country, but again in that scenario it would be under terms dictated by the DPWT.

If players like Poulter and Westwood love the DPWT as much as they say they do, they will compete in smaller events in order to gain entry to the higher-profile tournaments. It might be that a spot at Wentworth comes with a price tag of four more starts in less high-profile events. There is a commercial value to that happening and it will be up to the players committee to endorse it or not. Then again, the tour may take the view that those guys have had their day and now is the time to provide the younger lads with more opportunities. It’s all on the table. The tour can create its own scenario.

“My feeling is that we could end up with situations where Martin Kaymer tees-up at the BMW International Open in Germany, Poulter and Westwood play in, say, the British Masters and Stenson is allowed into the field in Sweden,” says McGinley, a former DPWT board member. “But our biggest events like the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth will be available to them only if they fulfill certain criteria of our choosing.

“The leverage in any negotiations has shifted with the result of the arbitration,” McGinley continues. “Gone are the days when the LIV players could cherry-pick events on the DP World Tour. Now, it is up to Keith Pelley, the tour board and the player’s committee as to where and when those guys play — if they play at all, which is clearly an opportunity for the tour.”

Of course, even that scenario is far from clear-cut. By way of example, last year’s BMW PGA and this year’s Abu Dhabi Championship both featured a large number of LIV players attracted by the large prize money payout and correspondingly attractive World Ranking points. All of which meant that Challenge Tour graduates and those on other exemptions were on the outside looking in. In the future though, Pelley, the tournament players committee, and the board will decide how many, if any, LIV players are allowed to compete. Which may not be more than a few. Many will feel a duty of care is due more to promising young players on the way up than to guys who have gone to LIV.

Then again, how being used (and abused?) by the tour in such a way will go down with certain LIV Golf members remains to be seen. Any bad feelings built up over the last couple of years are unlikely to disappear overnight. Asked to respond to the arbitration verdict after competing his opening round at Augusta, tSergio Garcia pleaded ignorance.

“How can I talk about something I don’t know?” asked the Spaniard. “Obviously I don’t look at the news. So I don’t know what happened. I’m not going to talk about something without all the information that I need.”

Pretty soon, of course, Garcia and his fellow LIV players will know exactly where they stand vis-a-vis the DPWT. And it would seem unlikely they will be happy with everything they hear.

The post What does ‘winning the peace’ look like after DP World Tour’s arbitration victory over LIV Golf? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Further provoking Norman’s indignation is the fact that sitting on the board that runs the Official World Golf Rankings — and thus reviewing whether to approve LIV’s application to join the OWGR — are DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley, chief operating officer Keith Waters and PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan. “Conflict of interest,” is a phrase Norman has often used to voice his displeasure.

RELATED: Full LIV Golf League 2023 schedule revealed
Explained: What LIV Golf’s TV deal means

And, as it turns out, not without some justification. According to Pelley, on advice of legal counsel, he and Waters, along with Monahan have recused themselves from the committee that is considering LIV’s OWGR future, sitting out of a meeting last month.

“I have not looked at the LIV application,” said Pelley during a sit-down session with members of the media prior to this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic. “So I can’t give an opinion on an application I have not seen. It is in the hands of the technical committee. On the advice of legal counsel, myself and Jay recused ourselves from the separate committee. Representatives of the four majors will now determine the LIV application. We are not involved, and we have no influence on what transpires as far as LIV goes.”

Indeed, with Pelley, Monahan and Waters (representing the International Federation of PGA Tours) recusing themselves, the board has just representatives from Augusta National, the PGA of America, the USGA and the R&A, along with chairman Peter Dawson, left to resolve the issue of LIV.

Less clear-cut for Pelley, however, is another complaint, this time from within his own membership. If anecdotal evidence is to be believed, many players are unhappy at the downgrading of points available on the DP World Tour. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that, going forward, no one competing full-time on tour could realistically play his way into the world’s crucial top 50. The gap between the points awarded in the U.S. and those elsewhere — never mind just Europe, says the argument — has grown too big to be fair.

While Pelley disputes such an assertion, he is clearly aware that the bigger picture is one that perhaps needs to be looked at and adjusted. Driven by the mound and groans he has clearly been hearing, he is taking action.

“I am involved in discussions about the allocation of points on the various tours,” Pelley said. “Victor Perez got 26 for winning in Abu Dhabi [at the HSBC Championship] yesterday. Jon Rahm got 37 for winning the Amex Championship on the PGA Tour. We had 126 players in our field, they had 156. So they had more players in the top 200. And so they got more points.

“Then again, Victor got more points than anyone except Rahm,” Pelley continued. “It is a question we are debating: Is that right, that comparison? The points allocated on both tours have come down this year. And Victor did rise from 111th to 66th [in the rankings]. Do I believe he can get into the top-five playing only the DP World Tour? Absolutely. It’s really not that much more difficult than before. Every tour has been adjusted downwards.”

Still, it does appear as if further tweaking might be on the way. Watch this space.

The post Keith Pelley says he and Jay Monahan have recused themselves from LIV Golf’s OWGR application review appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In such an environment, rumor and half-truths have tended to flourish. Disillusionment is out there too, accompanied by moans and groans of varying legitimacy. But so is approval, optimism and even contentment, if you know where to look. The range of emotion and opinion is wide indeed.

Much of the talk as the DP World Tour heads into 2023, with hope amid uncertainty, revolves around the decision to spurn LIV Golf in favour of a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour. (Golf Digest previously reported the DP World Tour considered a Saudi-funded proposal in 2020, only to align with the PGA Tour, and pondered a relationship with LIV in 2022 before doubling down with the PGA Tour again in June.) As things stand, DPWT’s attempt to ban those who made the move to the LIV series remains unresolved. In February, a court will decide whether or not the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer can continue to compete on what was once their home tour.

Still, there are more issues driving discussion as the calendar turns. According to chief executive Keith Pelley, at the behest of players, the tour’s schedule introduces gaps (as much as three weeks in duration) at various points prior to the end of the PGA Tour’s 2023 season in mid-August.

Innovation is also part of the mix. Beginning in 2023, the 10 leading players on the DP World Tour who do not already hold a PGA Tour card will qualify for one. What business, argue many, gives away 10 of its biggest assets at the end of each year?

A perennial problem endures as well, one that may even get worse now that the emergence of the PGA Tour’s ‘elevated’ events all but ensures the DP World Tour’s biggest names will often be elsewhere. Events of no real consequence fill the period between the end of the Middle East run in January/February and the Scottish Open in early July. Next year only the Italian Open in May at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club — venue for September’s Ryder Cup matches — stands out even a little.

RELATED: How far LIV Golfers fell in the rankings in 2022
Jon Rahm labels OWGR as ‘laughable’
Tiger says OWGR system is ‘flawed’

And it is safe to say that the new allocation of World Ranking points, one that has negatively impacted DP World events, has provoked much reaction. By way of example, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have already set out diametrically opposing views, for and against. (Rahm subsequently got the backing of Tiger Woods). As is so often the case when subjectivity is part of a debate, this one is set to run and run.

It’s not just the players who have things to say, positive or negative. Last month at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, this journalist bumped into veteran caddie Billy Foster, who over his long career has served the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Woods, Westwood, Garcia, Darren Clarke and now US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. During an emotional chat, Foster covered a lot of ground.

“I’m upset,” said the normally amiable Englishman. “For one thing, this isn’t the European Tour anymore. … We’ve sold our soul to an organisation [the PGA Tour] that has done nothing but stamp its foot on us for the last 40 years.”

Foster also questioned the attempt to ban LIV players. “They should be welcome on this tour,” he said. “I’d also have them available for Ryder Cup selection. And the captaincy. In contrast, too many players out here bring nothing to the party. The European Tour is dead. It has lost its heart and soul, which breaks my heart.”

“We’re struggling,” concurred Pete Cowen, the prominent swing coach whose students have won more than 300 tournaments. “The standard is dropping. And has been since the better players basically stopped competing here. You get better at golf by playing against better players. But if they’re not there, you’re not getting better.

“I was here before the European Tour existed. I’ll probably be here when the European Tour ceases to exist. That’s what I fear. For this tour not to align themselves with the Saudis was a mistake. Players see the LIV people earning huge money that could have created 30 unbelievable tournaments on this tour. At the right time, too, which would have enticed a lot of big names.”

Of course, the undercurrent to all this is money. Many times, cash is the topic du jour in DP World Tour arguments, with the lack of it — relative to prize funds on offer across the Atlantic — perhaps the most common theme. But it is safe to say that the last couple of years have seen a more general turbulence within and around the Wentworth-based organisation than the previous 48 combined.

The pandemic didn’t help. Dealing with an enormous variety of rules and regulations across many nations was a task of epic proportions laced with difficulties.

“Through COVID we had to give the players opportunities to make a living,” said Paul McGinley, former Ryder Cup captain and a member of the DP World Tour’s Board of Directors. “You eat what you kill in golf. So if they weren’t playing, they weren’t earning. We had to do something. And we had to use our own money because sponsors didn’t want to get involved. It was a short-term fix. But we were made to look weak because the PGA Tour was able to dip into their coffers and keep prize money high [most tournaments north of $7 million while several DP World Tour purses hovered around €1.75 million].”

Keith Pelley and Jay Monahan. Ross Kinnaird

Soon after came LIV with all of its disruptions, a catalyst that led to the formation of the 13-year joint partnership between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour signed in June. In the wake of a COVID-induced struggle to maintain prize funds, the deal that bumps overall DP World purses in 2023 to a record $144.2 million and guarantees a rise in total purses in each of the next five years has understandably found a welcoming audience.

“I was worried for a while,” said Oliver Wilson, another former Ryder Cup player. “I didn’t want to be away from my family playing for $1.5 million when it was costing me $5,000 every week. All with the hassle of travel. It just wasn’t appealing. But the deal with the PGA Tour changed all that. This is a great time to be playing golf. We’re going to play for a lot of money.” Wilson is also hearing, as are other players, that the 2024 schedule will be improved in terms of a reduction of lower-paying tournaments. “We’ll play less in better quality events. The tour has been devalued in the last few years, which isn’t fair. The tour is strong.”

On the other hand, the pact also guarantees the aforementioned PGA Tour cards to the 10 leading DP World Tour players not already playing in the US Plenty are those who see such a move as self-abuse. Pelley, who has overseen the tour since 2015, is quick to underline the benefits of a closer bond with the tour’s more affluent transatlantic cousins.

“The players I have talked to believe we have a great deal with the PGA Tour, one that we are only at the beginning of,” Pelley said. “The PGA Tour have been wonderful in their support of the DP World Tour. They have brought in sponsors like Horizon and Genesis. There will be a couple more announcements on the way. They are topping up our purses in 2023 to an all-time high. To have record prize funds amid roaring inflation and an economic crisis is remarkable.

“Plus, I think that saying we are giving away our assets is a complete fallacy,” Pelley continued. “Our tour will get stronger in every way. The quality of the lower-ranked players will rise. I would ask any player with concerns to come and ask me about it. They should be thrilled that the PGA Tour has this relationship with us.”

Many are.

“Every young guy these days dreams about playing on the PGA Tour,” Nicolas Colsaerts said. “I didn’t grow up doing that. It wasn’t on television. I never dreamt of playing there. Now it’s different. The guys don’t watch golf during the day. They watch at night. And what’s on? The PGA Tour. The relationship the modern generation has with the PGA Tour is much closer. So if you give 10 cards to guys who grew up idolising the American way, how can you say no to that?”

Yet the new coalition hasn’t gone down well with all the members. Then again, nothing ever has. They are an argumentative bunch.

Keith Pelley with Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy. David Cannon

No one knows that better than Pelley. One long-time tour observer likens the 58-year-old’s job to “herding cats,” so difficult is it to gain consensus on any direction. Take the World Ranking points. At the recent — and star-studded — DP World Tour Championship, Rahm earned only a little more than half the number of points awarded to the champion that week at the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic. Rahm repeatedly described the OWGR’s new formula as “laughable”.

Pelley, who serves on the World Ranking board, isn’t saying so out loud, but he clearly has concerns about such an obvious anomaly, even if, as one player points out: “The World Rankings are basically irrelevant in this tour. They mean nothing to just about everyone on this tour.”

Pelley said: “When we looked at the OWGR, four independent studies all came to the conclusion that the points as they were did not reflect the proper valuation of the players. As a result, we implemented the new system [in August]. However, as with anything new, you continue to modify and re-evaluate. There are some things we will talk about at the next board meeting. The situation we had in Dubai, despite so many top players present, will no doubt be discussed. When you implement something and see what actually happens, impressions can change. Unintended consequences do happen.”

So it is that the biggest effects of what some call a “pseudo-takeover” by the PGA Tour are beginning to be felt, not least in what the DP World schedule will look like in 2024 in the wake of the New World “blowing up” its long-established timetable.

“The DP World Tour has never been in a better place,” McGinley said. “We are continuing to react to dynamics and the cards we have been dealt. We follow the migration of the players. Not because we have done a bad job, but because the top players are more and more living and competing in America. We can’t do anything to stop that. So why we get criticised is a mystery to me. The decision-making process of the players is obvious.”

Indeed, next year will see the continuation of a new, enlightened future as far as the DP World Tour is concerned. For the second straight year, the top players in the ‘Road to Mallorca’ Challenge Tour rankings will receive financial support through the John Jacobs Bursary Award as they move to the “big” tour. All 20 graduates will benefit from the Earnings Assurance Programme, which will guarantee each minimum earnings of $150,000, as soon as they compete in 15 or more events.

By way of further example, there will be a three-week gap in the schedule immediately following the Open Championship in July. At first glance that seems self-defeating. A three-week hiatus in the middle of summer? But it makes sense, insist its proponents. With the demise of the PGA Tour’s wrap-around schedule, the fall will become available to the DP World Tour, which means the players will need a break before an intensive period of events.

“That three-week gap is there at the instigation of the players,” Pelley said. “Everyone is so used to the mindset that we have to play every week. But the players wanted it. And it allows us to extend that into other natural gaps in 2024. The tournament committee are working with us on that.”

“We know we have too many events,” agreed Scotsman David Law. “So to pause is a good thing, especially for a family man like me. But for any player to get a break at that time of the year is a chance to rebuild and regroup, to do the work that they need to do. It’s almost like a mini off-season. It’s important that we get away from the mind-set that we have to play every week.”

Law isn’t alone in welcoming the change.

“If we are going to play from mid-January all the way to mid-December, we need to have natural breaks,” Wilson said. “That’s logical. If we are going to work with the PGA Tour to maximise our fields, autumn is going to be our time. We cannot keep playing week-after-week, year-after-year. It’s too much of everything. And it’s boring for the fans.”

So the autumn is when the DP World Tour is going to rise. But apart from the Middle East run in January and a couple of weeks before the Open Championship, Pelley still has February through June to deal with. Pretty much a barren wasteland, especially as the elite players are always elsewhere — the PGA Tour’s new elevated events accentuating that — it is a tough sell to prospective sponsors.

“The period between the Middle East and the Scottish Open has always been our biggest challenge,” McGinley said. “It’s difficult because the top players are in America, building their schedules around the majors. I don’t care what you do. We could put on $20 million events. But they would still be in America.”

Alex Noren

That is a view confirmed by the players themselves, though all have regrets, neatly summed up by Alex Noren. “I really miss Europe,” said the Swede. “I would be here more if I played better in America, and that’s my goal, to be at home more.”

“I want to support the European Tour as much as I can,” Rahm agreed. “But what is in place for 2023 will impact on my ability to do so. Especially in summer. It’s hard. So yes, it will be more challenging. I’m hoping that in the future the PGA Tour and DP World Tour will figure out a way to make it easier for people like Rory [McIlroy] and me.”

Rahm’s refrain is echoed elsewhere, although the possible integration of what Pelley calls an “ambassador programme”, a fund aimed at getting “influencers” (McGinley’s word) more involved and more inclined to cross the Atlantic more often. In other words, appearance money. And, to be fair, that cash will also filter down a little. The appearance of the Hojgaard twins and Adrian Meronk at the recent Australian PGA and Australian Open was no coincidence. Already the ambassador programme is taking effect, “encouraging” players to compete in events they might not have considered without financial inducement.

But the basic problem remains. The biggest names are still going to spend the vast majority of their time at least 3,000 miles west of Europe.

“I have less freedom now,” said Shane Lowry. “I would love to play the Italian Open next year. But it is just too busy. It’s difficult for Europeans playing both tours.”

World No. 12 Viktor Hovland, a single man with time on his hands, is a little more encouraging.

“I love coming over to Europe to play,” said the 25-year-old Norwegian. “So I’ll do it whenever it makes sense. I don’t mind playing a lot of golf. I’m young. I don’t have anything else to do. My disappointment is being told we have to play so many events. We don’t have the freedom to pick as much as we might want to, especially now that I have to play 20 over there. I’ll make it work, but I’m not sure how sustainable that is in the long run. I’m not a big fan.”

One consequence of the shifting schedule is that the DP World Tour is going to evolve into at least a two-tier entity, a first and second division. Nothing will be announced officially, but that fact will be clear.

“We have so many events because Keith Pelley has to represent all of the members,” McGinley said. “If he wanted to create a tour of, say, 20 huge events, he could do that and keep the top players happy. We could have three in the Middle East, two around the Open and 15 after the FedEx Cup. We could happily give every other week to the PGA Tour. McIlroy and Rahm would love that idea. But Keith also has to think of the rank-and-file. What about them? They want opportunities to play and earn money.”

There’s that word again. Whatever else happens on the DP World Tour going forward, you can be sure lucre will continue to be at the forefront of every mind. On that at least, no one is arguing.

The post LIV bans, prize money questions, schedule gaps and keeping pros loyal: What the DP World Tour faces in 2023 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Pelley will serve as Chairman of the IGF from 2023-2027, while World Golf Hall of Fame Member Annika Sörenstam, the 10-time Major Champion and host of the Volvo Cars Scandinavian Mixed, was also re-elected as IGF President.

The IGF was founded in 1958 and is the recognised International Federation within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

Pelley said: “I am very honoured to accept this important and prestigious role and I look forward to working with Annika and Antony Scanlon, the IGF’s Executive Director, as well as the individual member Federations and Tours, to continue to develop our sport globally.

“I have always said that I believe golf is the most inclusive of all sports and the IGF, through its relationships with these member organisations and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, undoubtedly has an important part to play in promoting this internationally and showcasing golf as a sport for all.”

Antony Scanlon, Executive Director of the IGF, added: “We are grateful for the leadership of Keith Pelley and Annika Sörenstam as we continue to encourage the international development of the sport of golf.

“As two prominent members in the international golf landscape, Keith and Annika will bring extensive experience and knowledge to our overall strategy and we are thrilled to have them in these key roles. I also want to thank PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan for his tenure as the IGF Chairman and we’re delighted to have him continue on the Board moving forward.”

In August 2015, Pelley became the fourth Chief Executive in the 50 year history of the European Tour group, which incorporates the DP World Tour, the European Challenge Tour, the Legends Tour and the G4D Tour, and is the Managing Partner of the Ryder Cup in Europe.

You may also like:
Get the December 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here!
Gallacher to captain Europe in Junior Ryder Cup
Ines Laklalech becomes first Arab to claim LPGA card
The night Tiger and Rory took the PGA Tour v LIV Golf fight into their own hands
Tiger and LIV Golf top Google searches in 2022
Finally a win for DP World Tour player after 19 runner-up finishes
Tiger clearly limping, flops at The Match
Europe hopeful Ryder Cup has no LIV Golf cloud
Tiger Woods in golf ball switch
Will Zalatoris to return from injury
Saudi amateur Saud Al Sharif in the hunt at Saudi Open
LIV Golf voted golf business story of the year
2019 Open Champion winner Shane Lowry amongst latest stars added to Dubai Desert Classic
PGA Tour and DP World Tour announce alliance with Japan Golf Tour
Report: PGA Tour, LPGA planning to turn QBE Shootout into a mixed-team event
Al Mouj in Oman added to Asian Tour International Series
Brooks and another major winner are the latest LIV players to hit this sad OWGR milestone
PGA Tour, LPGA planning to turn QBE Shootout into a mixed-team event
Newsmakers of the Year countdown — 25 to 23
Scott Vincent earns LIV Golf 2023 ticket
Scottie chips in on OWGR situation

The post Keith Pelley replaces Jay Monahan as Chairman of the International Golf Federation appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The likes of Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Martin Kaymer, Jason Kokrak, Pablo Larrazábal, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Shaun Norris, Wade Ormsby, Adrian Otaegui, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed and Lee Westwood are among those ‘LIV-ers’ planning to line up in the field that includes the top DP World Tour players including FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick.

The PGA Tour has already suspended any player that competes at a LIV Golf event, but the DP World Tour’s initial fine and suspension of new LIV Golfers for three summer events (each notably co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour) was temporarily blocked by a UK arbiter until at least February.

However, a report in The Telegraph on Wednesday suggests that there will be some stipulations in place at Wentworth, with LIV Golf stars missing the pre-tournament pro-am and being discouraged from wearing LIV Golf branding.

The Golf Channel also obtained a memo sent by DPWT CEO Keith Pelley on the subject of LIV Golfers planning to play on the $8million Rolex Series event.

“They will not be given any on course competitive disadvantage — i.e. unfavorable tee times — but they will not be required to play in the pro-am on Wednesday and will not be in TV featured groups,” it read.

At the BMW International Open in Germany in June, LIV Golf players were placed in the same groups for the first two rounds — something the DPWT may be planning again for Wentworth from September 8-11.

You may also like:
Get your FREE September edition of Golf Digest Middle East here
Bubba Watson hopes he is still welcome at Augusta
UAE get under way at Eisenhower Trophy in France
LIV Golfers back format ahead of fourth event outside Boston
LIV Golf’s masterstroke signing may well turn out to be Lahiri
Why did Cam Smith join LIV Golf? 
It’s official: Smith joins LIV Golf
Viya Golf takes over management of Yas Links, Yas Acres and Saadiyat Beach
Team Europe announce Ryder Cup qualification process
Saudi Open to debut on Asian Development Tour
Win a spot at the DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am
Aramco Team Series to be held at Donald Trump’s Ferry Point in New York
UAE arrive in Paris for Eisenhower Trophy
Cam Young opts to stay with PGA Tour
Swede dreams for Linn Grant
Cameron announces move to LIV Golf, but it isn’t Smith
LIV Golf announcements are imminent
Rory is the toast of the PGA
Lawrence is king of the mountains
Rory is the toast of the PGA Tour
On to Dubai as Sweden deny US title
EGF buoyed by Morocco trip
The biggest and strangest rule blunders in history
Chiara Noja named Golf Saudi ambassador
Scottie and Xander in for marathon finish at Tour Championship
19 LIV Golfers to tee up at BMW PGA Championship

The post Blackout: DP World Tour’s Keith Pelley to take steps at BMW PGA Championship as LIV Golf players set to tee up appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Speaking at Trump National Bedminster Golf Club ahead of this week’s LIV Golf event, Paul Casey explained that such a release, at least with the former European Tour, was never an issue in the past.

“What happened earlier this year, I wasn’t a part of it, but fines being handed out for playing without a release, I’ve played many a tournament without a release and was never fined, and suddenly the goal posts are changing,” Casey said.

One of the provisions in the PGA Tour Player Handbook and Tournament Regulations is that each PGA Tour member acknowledges the commissioner, the tour’s policy board and the appeals committee have the authority to permanently ban a member from playing in a tour co-sponsored, approved or coordinated tournaments if the member violates its regulations. One such regulation generally prohibits tour players from playing in events when there is a PGA Tour-approved or sponsored event taking place at the same time. Per the handbook, players who reach the 15-event minimum (which members must meet as a condition of their membership voting rights) are eligible for three conflicting-event releases per season, which is why so many tour players were allowed to play in the Saudi Invitational earlier this year. The regulations also state such requests can be denied and playing in spite of these denials has been the impetus for tour discipline.

“As our regulations clearly state, there are no conflicting event/media releases available for events that take place in North America,” read a PGA Tour memo earlier this summer announcing suspensions to players who competed at the LIV Golf event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore. “As a result, these players did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV event is in violation of our tournament regulations.”

The DP World Tour has followed a similar route, with CEO Keith Pelley writing in an open letter, “Before joining LIV Golf, players knew there would be consequences if they chose money over competition. Many of them at the time understood and accepted that. Indeed, as one player named in the letter said in a media interview earlier this year; ‘If they ban me, they ban me.’ It is not credible that some are now surprised with the actions we have taken.”

However, Casey’s accusation would make it seem like LIV Golf is being discriminated against by the DP World Tour in ways other events haven’t been.

For his part, Casey said he is not trying to hurt the existing tours with his decision.

“None of us, I think speaking for the three of us sitting up here, none of us are intending to damage golf or damage the tour,” Casey said, sitting next to Charles Howell III and Jason Kokrak. “I’m a guy who’s sat on the European Player Committee for many years, I’ve sat on the Player Advisory Council for many years. In fact, I retired and then they asked me to come back because of my input.

“I know the fabric of this game pretty well on the inside, on the tour level. At no time have I ever tried to damage the tour in the decision that I’ve made. If it’s damaged, I think the questions have to be asked somewhere else.”

You may also like:
LIV Golf sets out plans for 2023
LIV Golf teams set for Bedminster
Ancer impressed by Thai star Sadom
Speaking with Centurion Club’s Scott Evans 
The LIV Golf wrinkle impacting the FedExCup Playoffs
Sergio holds off on quitting DP World Tour
LIV Golf to feature relegation and qualification from 2023
LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
DP World Tour returns to St Andrews for Hero Open
Justin Rose adds event to LET Access Series
Dubai’s Chiara Noja to take a well-earned break
Solheim Cup stars sign up for Aramco Team Series — Sotogrande
Sophia Schubert: Evian Championship runner=up is a big winner too 
World’s best set for Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open
Stenson defends LIV Golf decision
Top agents still calling me: LIV Golf’s Greg Norman
After Henrik’s departure, here are leading candidates for Team Europe Ryder Cup captaincy
Finau keeps cool to claim 3M Open
Darren delivers the Open double at Gleneagles
Richie Ramsay keeps promise to daughter
Dubai’s Chiara Noja to take a well-earned break
Rory returns to BMW PGA at Wentworth
LPGA commissioner willing to talk to LIV Golf
Qatar’s Education City is perfect for golf and footy fans at World Cup
R&A gets greener at The Open
Casey confirmed as LIV Golf Bediminster field revealed
Bryson back to ’97-98 per cent fitness’

The post Paul Casey accuses DP World Tour of moving goal posts with LIV Golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 42-year-old joined the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series for the inaugural event in London early in June and recently announced he would be quitting the Europe-based DP World Tour.

However, Team Europe players need to be a member to be eligible for the Ryder Cup, forcing a rethink from Garcia, who is waiting to see if he can still make the team where he has many past triumphs against the Americans.

“I want to at least see what’s happening when Ryder Cup qualification starts,” Garcia told ESPN.

“See what kind of rules and eligibilities they have in there.

“If I agree with what they [are], I’ll definitely keep playing whatever I can on the tour and try to qualify for that Ryder Cup team.

“And if not, then we’ll move on. But it is definitely something that is in my mind.”

The DP World Tour has punished LIV golfers and had a failed attempt to ban them from three PGA-Tour co-sanctioned events in July.

“I told Keith Pelley [chief executive of the DP World Tour]: ‘I want to keep being a member of the DP World Tour. I want to play my minimum, still support the tour, still have my eligibilities to make Ryder Cup teams,’” said Garcia. “He said: ‘That’s great, but we got to do what’s best for us. We’ll see what that is.’”

Henrik Stenson was stripped of the European Ryder Cup captaincy last week after deciding to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

“What they did to Henrik, it’s a little bit sad,” said Garcia.

The third LIV Golf event is at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey this week.

You may also like:
LIV Golf to feature relegation and qualification from 2023
LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
Top agents still calling me: LIV Golf’s Greg Norman
World’s best set for Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open
Henderson claims major prize at Evian
After Henrik’s departure, here are leading candidates for Team Europe Ryder Cup captaincy
Finau keeps cool to claim 3M Open
Darren delivers the Open double at Gleneagles
Richie Ramsay keeps promise to daughter
Dubai’s Chiara Noja to take a well-earned break
Henderson hanging on at Evian Championship
Brooke leads the way at Amundi Evian Championship
Rory returns to BMW PGA at Wentworth
LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
WATCH: Matsuyama dumps three in lake on way to quadruple-bogey
Charley Hull and Nelly Korda in the mix at Amundi Evian Championship
Local lad Waring leads at Hillside
LPGA commissioner willing to talk to LIV Golf
LOOK: Home with ridiculous replica of Sawgrass’ 17th hole on market
Qatar’s Education City is perfect for golf and footy fans at World Cup
R&A gets greener at The Open
Remembering the greatest finish in golf — 30 years on
McGinley refuses to slate Ryder Cup mates for joining LIV Golf
Kokrak and Howell III join Stenson at LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster
Henrik Stenson removed as Ryder Cup captain
LOOK: Golf bag chaos at Scottish airport after The Open
Casey confirmed as LIV Golf Bedimster field revealed
Bryson back to ’97-98 per cent fitness’
LOOK: Then and now — The Old Course at St Andrews
Parting thoughts from the 150th Open Championship

The post LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia ‘holds off’ quitting DP World Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“We’re not going to fight any of the smaller battles,” was the message from the Wentworth-based tour. “Only the eventual war [in court].”

So it is that the other 13 LIV members are also eligible for the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club. How many will take advantage of that fact will only be known when the draw for the first two rounds is revealed. Officials say all players will be added on top of the 156 golfers previously expected to compete in the joint DP World-PGA Tour event.

All of which is taking place within a mood of discontent on the DP World Tour and beyond.

“The general feeling is that, while most of the players can accept that the guys have made a choice to play on the LIV Tour, it has become a ‘them and us’ situation,” says one DP World Tour player who asked not to be identified. “It’s them against the tour they started out on. For me, that’s a hard thing to accept. It just feels like a betrayal. There is an element of ‘Why do you need to go?’ They have let us down. This tour has always been a family, as was shown at every Ryder Cup. We’ve always been together on everything. Now we’ve got Sergio [Garcia] and Rory [McIlroy] on opposite sides of the argument. What a pair they have been in the Ryder Cup over the years. Now it is hard to imagine it all working so well in the same team room.”

Billy Horschel, current holder of the biggest title on the DP World circuit, the BMW PGA Championship, was another to voice his displeasure with the men who are now playing their trades in LIV Series events.

“I believe they made their bed,” said Horschel, who shares membership on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. “They decided to go play a tour and they should go play that tour. They shouldn’t be coming back over here to play the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. To say that they wanted to also support either tour while playing the LIV Tour is completely asinine in my opinion. I’m just tired of these comments. Leave us alone, honestly.”

Speaking from Ireland, where he is competing in the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor, Poulter was equally outspoken in his response. In particular he was quick to shoot down any notion that he has been received badly by his fellow players over the last couple of days.

“My reception here has been unbelievable with the 40,000 fans that we’ve had,” said the 46-year-old Englishman. “In the locker room are people that I play against week in, week out, and if they take objection to it, that’s up to them. I haven’t had a problem with any of the players. I’ve seen Rory this week and had a chat, I’ve seen Thomas [Bjorn], and, yes, we have a difference of opinion. But we’re still friends. When you’ve played golf with these players for a very long time it’s strictly a business decision, it’s not a personal decision that needs to get in the way of friendships. I class pretty much everybody out here on tour as a friend.”

Poulter had less to say about the fact that he is currently banned from the PGA Tour, but was vehement in repeating his view that appealing against the DP World suspension was the right thing to do.

“I’ve always been committed to the European Tour over the last 24 years and 389 tournaments,” he continued. “That has never changed. I’ve always played over 100 per cent more events in Europe than I have ever needed to, even while holding a PGA Tour card. So to have a suspension held over you and sanctions is not a nice position to be in. We can name quite a few players that have given their membership up over the years to concentrate solely on the PGA Tour. I’ve never done that. Not everybody is going to agree with me and my decision, but that’s everybody else’s opinion. I don’t know the next stage as yet. How that unfolds, or whether that’s in weeks, months, years, we’ll have to wait and see.”

You may also like:
Tiger a little rusty at JP McManus Pro-Am
Meronk on top of the world at Mount Juliet
Grace shines in Portland
DJ dominates on Day 2 at Portland
Schwartzel crowned inaugural LIV Golf champion
Who won what at LIV Golf London
PGA announces new plans, but not everyone happy
LIV Golf officially announced the signing of Brooks Koepka
LIV players permitted to play in Open
PGA plans tour series to rival  LIV
LIV Golf announces latest major signing
Brooks Koepka set to make his move to LIV
Report: Ancer is the latest LIV Golf recruit
The Gulf Club: Latest golf news from UAE

The post More LIV golfers likely to join Poulter in Scottish Open field as DP World Tour braces for long-term legal challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.