The DP World Tour is here to stay after a new 13-year partnership with the PGA Tour was announced on Tuesday.
Doubling down on the 'Strategic Partnership' formed between the organisations in 2020, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour ) have clubbed together in a display of unity. The announcement comes after the LIV Golf Invitational Series made its debut earlier in June, leading many major golf stars to leave the sport's establishment for the new Saudi-funded rival league.
The panic to assert control had led to suspicions the DP World Tour could suffer as the PGA Tour looked to concentrate resources on optimising that competition. Instead, the two competitions have demonstrated a renewed loyalty to one another with a deal that will run until 2035.
“It was clear from the outset that our Strategic Partnership with the European Tour Group was a powerful agreement for both sides, and we are thrilled with today’s announcement of this expanded partnership," read a statement from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
The golf chief added his organisation and the DP World Tour will "continue to collaborate on a global schedule" with a view to bringing "memberships even closer together." He also credited DP World Tour counterpart Keith Pelley and the European Tour Group for their efforts in strengthening the alliance.
Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson were among the household names who featured in that inaugural competition at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire. Major-winners Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have since joined up and will make their LIV debuts in Portland on Thursday.
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As part of the new arrangement, the top 10 finishers in the DP World Tour rankings will earn pro cards for the PGA Tour. The former will also see its prize funds grow annually for the next five years, while BBC Sport reported the PGA Tour's increased stake in European Tour Productions (from 15 to 40 per cent) is believed to be worth £120million.
"LIV looks like it's going to be here to stay," commented Padraig Harrington, Europe's captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup. "In three, four, five years' time, all of this could be very normalised - and there could be the US Tour and the LIV Tour contending for the hearts and minds of the players. Let's hope that the European Tour can keep up. We do need a very strong European Tour."
It has been suggested this agreement solidifies the DP World Tour's place as a development league for the PGA Tour, rather than an equal partner. DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley said the deal will result in "even greater strategic opportunities" for both organisations, who stage their first co-sanctioned contest at the Scottish Open next week.
