By Kent Gray
Organisers of the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic have distanced themselves from a report linking the tournament to a proposed new global golf tour.
The mooted ‘Premier Golf League (PGL)’ has the royal and ancient game abuzz after British-based World Golf Group confirmed they hope to launch the world tour in 2022. While details remain unconfirmed, multiple news and golf media outlets are reporting that the PGL would be an 18-tournament circuit featuring 48 of the world’s biggest names playing for $10 million purses at each event.
Adding further intrigue, sources say the PGL could have both individual and team ‘league’ components with 12 teams of four players vying for a world championship.
Ten of the proposed events are to be played in the United States. According to the Australian Associated Press, the Desert Classic, the oldest event on the European Tour outside continental Europe, has been approached to be part of the PGL’s international schedule. The 116-year-old Australian Open, the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South African and the Singapore Open are also named in the AAP report.
However, Falcon Golf & Associates, owners of the Desert Classic, insist they have not been approached by World Golf Group.
“There has been no discussion,” CEO Greg Sproule said in a one-line statement to Golf Digest Middle East on the sidelines of the $3.25 million tournament, the 31st edition of which is headed for a windswept climax at Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.
Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy have already offered opinions on the proposed circuit which, given the money involved, is set to be a seductive lure to the world’s best players and a major headache for the PGA and European Tours.
Mickelson said he was “intrigued and listening” while McIlroy, currently T-3 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in California, said the PGL “might be the catalyst for something a little bit different out here as well, who knows.”
“It might be a catalyst for some changes on [the PGA Tour] that can help it grow and move forward and reward the top players the way they should be,” the world No.2 continued.
An unsolicited statement sent to Golf Digest Middle East from the “PGL Comms Team” said: “It is our intention to work with, rather than challenge, existing tours.” However, that seems a way off given the response from European Tour chief Keith Pelley.
“I think they’ve been trying to move forward for eight years, but I wouldn’t comment on the business of the PGA Tour or certainly one that is not real,” Pelley said.
The PGA Tour also released a dismissive statement after commissioner Jay Monahan held a meeting with players on Tuesday night at Torrey Pines, during which he addressed the rival circuit. “We don’t comment on the business of other tours, real or hypothetical,” the statement read.
Whether the tour is feasible remains to be seen on an already-crowded calendar with PGA Tour players needing a “release” from its commissioner each time they want to play an event outside their home tour.
However, the PGL says the current professional structure is outdated, APP reported.
“If you want the world to watch, you have to showcase your best product, week-in-week-out. Golf doesn’t do that currently,” it said in a statement.
Two-time major winner Greg Norman first proposed a world tour in 1994 but it was squashed by the U.S. Tour, under then-commissioner Tim Finchem, which threatened to suspend players who took part and later set up the World Golf Championship (WGC) series events.
“The arrows can hopefully now come out of my back and we can all go forward,” Norman said at the time.
Here is the full statement from the PPL, emailed to Golf Digest Middle East on Saturday:
“There has been significant media speculation relating to our plans to launch The League, a new professional golf format that will be comprised of 18 events per season. Some of that speculation, including details of the proposed format and our financial backers, is inaccurate. While we do not wish to comment further at this time, we would like to say that it is our intention to work with, rather than challenge, existing tours for the betterment of golf as a sport, pastime and media property, and we have partnered with the Raine Group to help make this vision a reality. We appreciate the interest and look forward to providing everyone with further details.”