DP World Tour players will earn a guaranteed $150,000 next year as the European Tour aims to ward off the threat posed by LIV Golf.
Players will be eligible for the money provided they play a minimum of 15 events next year. Back in August, the PGA Tour announced a similar initiative with players earning a minimum of $500,000 from next season.
The moves have been made in response to the threat posed by LIV Golf. Players were guaranteed a minimum of $120,000 per LIV event this year. The Saudi backed series has pumped money into the sport, with Dustin Johnson for example earning a staggering $32 million, and has poached players from both the European Tour and PGA Tour.
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Announcing a record prize fund of 144.2million dollars (£128million) across 39 tournaments, DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “For us to be able to offer our members record prize funds and enhanced earning opportunities is massive, particularly when global economies are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and with the new challenge of rising inflation significantly putting pressure on costs in all facets of our business.
“Our overall prize fund for the 2023 season represents $50million more than 2021 and also underlines the strength of our partnership with the PGA Tour, who are working with us to drive revenue and a long-term growth plan.
“One of the many benefits we have been able to introduce because of this partnership is the new Earnings Assurance Programme, similar to what they already have on the PGA Tour.
“I have always believed that it is an incredible accomplishment for any professional golfer to simply gain their playing rights on the DP World Tour and this new initiative recognises and rewards that achievement.
“Although we will never lose the magic of the meritocracy and purity of a performance-based structure, this now offers certainty of income to those players who have made it to the pinnacle of the professional game in Europe.”
The first four Rolex Series events – the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship – will all see prize money increase to £8million, with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship worth £9million.
A three-week break will follow the Open Championship in July following player feedback.
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