New DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings believes golf's mindset shift towards becoming a more global game plays to his circuit's strengths and gives them "a great opportunity" to help shape the game "in the right way."
Kinnings officially started his new role on April 2, becoming just the fifth CEO in the history of the European Tour and succeeding Keith Pelley - who has left to take the top job at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in his native Canada.
Although the announcement involving Pelley and Kinnings was made early in the new year, the Canadian had asked to stay on for three extra months in order to help try and see a unification deal involving the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's backers, the PIF, through to its conclusion - something that is yet to take place.
Addressing his emotions after finally beginning his time in the top job at the Wentworth-based tour following almost six years as the European Tour Group’s Deputy CEO, Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Director for the Ryder Cup, Kinnings said: “Today is a very proud day for me and my family.
"It is a real privilege to become the Chief Executive of the European Tour Group and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly. Our Tour has such a wonderful history, and I am delighted to have this opportunity to help shape the next exciting phase in its evolution."
Kinnings - who also held overall responsibility for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome during his time under Pelley - later outlined his thoughts on the sport's future from a wider perspective.
Several well-known players and other golf personalities - including Rory McIlroy - have recently called for the upper echelons of men's pro golf to move itself away from predominantly the US and take in under-represented, but equally passionate, areas of the world such as Australia and South America.
“My dream scenario is a World Tour, with the proviso that corporate America has to remain a big part of it all," McIlroy said, ahead of the Dubai Invitational in January 2024. "Saudi Arabia, too. That’s just basic economics.”
Stating that he is keen to see unity in the game first and foremost, Kinnings went on to agree with McIlroy and co. on their wish to see a more global sport - pointing out the fact that the DP World Tour already holds many of the wider characteristics fans and some players want to see.
Kinnings said: “I have been working closely with our players, our Board, our partners and our staff over the past six years and I feel we have a great opportunity to look forward and to focus on unity and alignment in the game.
"I’ve been lucky enough to be in a lot of recent discussions that have been going on, and I’m optimistic that we can look forward to a bright future for the sport.
Watch Guy’s first interview as the new European Tour Group CEO 👇 pic.twitter.com/kzPSPapVTMApril 2, 2024
"I think there’s been a shift in thinking about the game of golf to a more global mindset, and that’s something we really welcome and that’s something that plays to our strengths.
"We have a global footprint, we have huge global experience - essentially, for 50 years, we’ve been growing relationships around the world and staging events in different countries. I think that allows us a great opportunity to help shape the game in the right way."
As it stands in the men's pro game, golf is no closer to reuniting than when the June 6 agreement became public last summer. A $3 billion investment in the PGA Tour by Strategic Sports Group - which may later involve the PIF - has caused some to believe that the PGA Tour is capable of going alone, while a handful of key US-based players being poached by the LIV Golf League around Christmas suggested the sport's civil war is set to continue much longer into Kinnings' tenure than he might have wished.
