Monahan insists Strategic Alliance with DP World Tour is strengthening

John Craven
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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

John Craven

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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan remained tight-lipped on any further announcements that pertain to the DP World Tour but he insists the Strategic Alliance is strengthening despite an undercurrent that suggests Europe has drawn the short straw in the partnership.

Speaking ahead of this week’s Players Championship, Monahan cut a relaxed figure under questioning, far from the man under the cosh and on the defensive last year. In what was a lengthy interview, Monahan’s opening remarks touched on just about everything, and while there was very little new information to be gleaned, he was optimistic about the Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour.

“Our strategic alliance with the DP World Tour continues to strengthen,” he said. “We’re looking forward to again co-sanctioning the Genesis Scottish Open along with crossover opportunities at the Barracuda Championship and Barbasol Championship.

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“Our two organisations are working closely on commercial opportunities, and perhaps most exciting this year, the top 10 finishers in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai will earn PGA TOUR cards for 2024.”

The PGA Tour’s announcement of a new designated series that will include limited fields and no cuts didn’t exactly spell great news for the 10 players Monahan mentions who’ll earn their card to the PGA Tour for 2024.

Many see it as another hurdle to jump over to get to the top, while Europe’s stars who base themselves in America will have even less incentive to come home and compete on the DP World Tour given their lucrative schedule stateside.

Understandably, there’s scepticism in Europe, but while the latest announcements have once again been very U.S.-centric, the fact the DP World Tour’s hearing with LIV Golf remains ongoing means it’s likely that the alliance is waiting for those details to iron themselves out before laying more cards on the table, with Monahan suggesting more announcements are coming down the road.

“Keith Pelley [DP World Tour CEO] has been here, he and his team, the last three or four days,” Monahan continued.

“We’re spending a lot of time looking at the DP World Tour schedule and opportunities that we have going forward. I’m not going to comment on those today, but when you look at what has happened over the last couple of years, when you look at this year, you know, the DP World Tour is playing for $141 million in prize funds, which we are underpinning. We have made a $100 million investment in European Tour Productions.

“We as a team are rolling up our sleeves and working with Keith and his team every single day on that important part of the DP World Tour’s business.

“I think what we’ve done from a co-sanctioning standpoint at Genesis, the two crossover opportunities we have with Barbasol, Barracuda. If you look at the portfolio of sponsors and you look at those that share a relationship with the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, our sponsors are interested in partnering with the DP World Tour.

“You’ve seen some of that. I think you’ll continue to see more of it. Ultimately as we go forward, you’ll hear about the benefit of more opportunities because we are — again, I’m on that board; that’s a commitment this organisation has made to the DP World Tour and to its members, and it’s very important to me that we continue to deliver on that. I think the early signs are that we’re on a really good path.”

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