via Reuters
Golf – European Tour – BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, Britain – September 11, 2022 Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy reacts after he misses a putt on the 18th hole during the final round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
via Reuters
Golf – European Tour – BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, Britain – September 11, 2022 Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy reacts after he misses a putt on the 18th hole during the final round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Since last year, the PGA Tour has been undergoing massive modifications to overcome its nemesis – LIV Golf. However, during its transformation, the 92-year-old Tour may have wrecked a newly formed alliance with the European Tour. Two-time DP World Tour winner recently shared his rant about the PGA Tour’s new ‘elevated events’.
Since many of its players decided to jump to LIV Golf, the American Tour has made several changes to remain at the pinnacle of the sport. While matching the Saudi-funded Tour’s fancy prize money may be hard, the PGA Tour launched ‘elevated events’ from this season onwards.
According to the term, certain 17 tournaments of the season will have average prize money of $20 million. Though it may look promising for the Tour players, the European golfers weren’t too pleased with the new notion. One such golfer was the European Tour golfer, Eddie Pepperell, who didn’t shy away from talking ill about the American Tour.
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European golfer questions the alliance with PGA Tour
Following the commencement of LIV Golf last year, PGA Tour announced a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour for the next 13 years. The American Tour’s main objective was to provide operational support and additional investment to the European Tour. Nonetheless, a few months later, the idea of ‘elevated events’ was implemented which would give more priority to the PGA Tour players rather than the DP World Tour golfers.
Eddie Pepperell has said the DP World Tour management were surprised by the new PGA Tour ‘designated event’ changes. How can a partner not be consulted with such a monumental change? This ‘alliance’ is a joke, it’s all one sided and I see no benefit to European fans or players. pic.twitter.com/9NiwKSrIK4
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) March 28, 2023
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While speaking to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Eddie Pepperell questioned the alliance. He said, “Strategic alliance is under, not threat, but it would make sense to certainly put more of a microscope on it”. Pepperell then talked about how the new modifications in the 92-year-old Tour have been troubling for top European golfers. “The latest round of changes have taken people high up on our Tour aback and it wasn’t what was expected”, said the English golfer.
For golfers to qualify for the Majors, they either require a win in the PGA Tour or plenty of OWGR points. Since the American Tour has all the benefits instilled in its ‘elevated events’ and is also looking to make those 17 tournaments no-cut-line events, the European golfers will soon struggle to earn their ticket to the Majors. Nonetheless, golfers such as Eddie Pepperell have been bold enough to share their honest thoughts.
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Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy are two of the biggest golfers on the PGA Tour as well as the European Tour. While they may enjoy the luxury of the American Tour since they are already established, the rising golfers on the DP World Tour will soon face the repercussions of the Tour war in the sport. Regardless of what unfolds in the future, let’s hope no talent goes in vain due to the latest developments.
Watch This Story: Rory McIlroy Makes a Staggering Confession About the PGA Tour
