A big shake-up was announced on Tuesday, as it was reported that the Asian Tour will re-align with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.
The formal partnership will feature pathways for the leading Asian Tour players to the DP World Tour, with an email sent to individuals on both the latter and PGA Tour circuits this morning.
In the statement, it read: "The Asian Tour, DP World Tour and PGA Tour today announced a partnership through until at least 2029, marking a new chapter for global golf.
"Effective immediately, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour – through their own existing Strategic Alliance – will partner with the Asian Tour to help provide commercial and playing opportunities, also establishing pathways for the leading Asian Tour members, with playing rights starting from the 2027 DP World Tour season.
"The DP World Tour will also return to co-sanctioning select tournaments with the Asian Tour from 2027. Full details of those events will be outlined when the DP World Tour’s schedule for next season is announced later this year.
"The DP World Tour and Asian Tour previously had a Strategic Alliance from 2016 to 2021. That formalised a relationship which originally began in February 1999 when the Malaysian Open became the first tournament to be co-sanctioned by the two tours."
Speaking about the announcement, Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour, stated: "We feel the time is now right to collaborate with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour to enhance the Asian Tour for our members, fans and partners.
"Bringing the three Tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia.
"Not only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other Tours to our pinnacle events, which showcase the strength and diversity of golf in Asia."
Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament and Operations Officer for the DP World Tour, added: "We are delighted to rekindle our historic relationship with the Asian Tour and indeed strengthen it with the addition of the PGA Tour to our new partnership.
"As Golf’s Global Tour, we bring together the best international talent and the formal pathways established by this partnership will provide unprecedented international opportunities for Asian Tour members.
"Our agreement therefore represents not only a hugely positive step for golf in Asia, but also an exciting new era of collaboration for our game globally."
Finally, Christian Hardy, Senior Vice President of International at the PGA Tour, said: “This agreement is another example of what can be accomplished when organizations come together with a shared vision for the future of professional golf.
"Through our Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour, we have worked to build a more connected global golf ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort.
"Together, we are creating new opportunities for players, enhancing key National Opens around the world and continuing to evolve and strengthen pathways to identify and develop the next generation of elite talent."
The DP World Tour will also return to co-sanctioning select tournaments with the Asian Tour, beginning in 2027, but that raises the question over the Asian Tour's relationship with the LIV Golf League, with the LIV-backed International Series featuring as part of its schedule.
Those who finished first and second in the International Series Rankings would earn spots on the LIV Golf League the following season, with that pathway being in-place and altered since 2022.
At the beginning of this year, though, it was announced that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was to pull funding from the LIV Golf League at the end of the 2026 season.
As of writing, LIV CEO Scott O'Neil is reportedly seeking $300 million of investment to keep the circuit afloat, with an update being provided by the American in June.
“The players are locked in, the management team is locked in, and with advisors like AlixPartners and Gibson Dunn and new board members Gene Davis and Jon Zinman, Ducera is our lead bank, we’re pretty excited about where we are," he stated.
