World No. 1 Brooks Koepka and golf’s former top-ranked Dustin Johnson confirmed the receipt of an email from the PGA Commissioner to all Tour members believed to be an ultimatum regarding future Tour status should they decide to join a breakaway Premier Golf League (PGL).
Talk of a PGL Tour featuring 18 annual events with 42 of the world’s top stars seems to be gathering momentum and attracting plenty of media attention with much player reaction.
Koepka indicated ahead of this week’s second edition of the Saudi International, the receipt of an email sent by PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan to all PGA Tour members – no doubt including Irishmen Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington, outlining the Tour’s concern.
Rory McIlroy was asked his views at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, declaring: “It might be the catalyst for something a little bit different out here.”
His fellow four-time Major winning Koepka, while waiting to learn fuller details, believes the PGL could materialise.
If so, it will be the biggest pro-level shake-up ever in the history of the ancient club-and-ball game, with one observer in Saudi likening it to the controversial establishment in 1977 of World Series Cricket.
“I saw the Tour’s email last night (Monday) before I was going to bed. We’ve heard talks about it for a while but then I was only brought up-to-date, I think on January 4th where it was more of — instead of hearing about it for a couple years,” said Koepka.
“So, I think this might actually happen.
“The thing is though I just don’t have enough information on it, I really don’t. I’m always going to speak my mind and tell you what I think, and I think everybody in this room knows that, but I just couldn’t know enough to genuinely have an opinion or know enough to speak on it.
“The news is all basically a month old for me when I realised that, okay, well, this could be a possibility. I don’t know. When I know all the details, I’ll be happy to sit in front of you guys and talk to you about it.”
Former World No. 1 and defending Saudi champ, Dustin Johnson confirmed he also received an email from Monahan but bizarrely has yet to open the electronic message.
“From what I was told, I got an email recently but I haven’t read it yet,” said Johnson. “I’ll probably read it right after this.
“I’ve heard of it. I think it’s in the early stages, but sounds interesting.”
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