PGA Tour forms strategic partnership with DP World Tour

Changes in the professional golf world are moving too quickly to keep up at the moment. We just wish the pace of play at this level could match it.

It’s been another whirlwind week in the world of professional golf with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour suddenly announcing a strategic partnership.

And a bunch of new LIV Golf Tour payers fronting the media for the first time since joining the Saudi-backed league.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported that the new joint venture comes about to fight off the LIV Golf threat and doesn’t just mean a big cash injection into the tourn formerly known as the European Tour – but the top-10 players will get a place on the US PGA Tour.

As part of the new joint venture, the PGA Tour will increase its existing stake in the European Tour Productions from 15 percent to 40 percent, and use the circuit’s existing global footprint to coordinate a worldwide schedule.

The joint venture also provides a formal pathway from the DP World Tour to the PGA Tour for the first time. As such, beginning in 2023, the leading ten players on the end of season DP World Tour Rankings [in addition to those already exempt] will earn PGA Tour cards.

And then some of the bad boys of golf just got badder as they fronted the media ahead of this week’s LIV Golf event in Portland.

Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez have all recently jumped ship with a bag full of cash and they set about explaining their reasons for doing so.

In particular, Koepka tried to explain why he had previously criticised players for joining the LIV Golf Tour and now he’s part of it. He just didn’t mention the money.

“My opinion changed; that was it,’’ he said. “You guys will never believe me, but we didn’t have the conversation ’til everything was done at the U.S. Open and figured it out and just said I was going to go one way or the other. Here I am.

“Like I said, opinions changed. And I feel very comfortable with the decision I made. I’m happy, and I did what’s best for me.’’

We also thought this exchange was worth sharing for how difficult Koepka et al. found the question to answer.

Incredible answer. pic.twitter.com/YBUkxlRkKr

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 28, 2022

And it sounds like LIV Golf Tour players won’t be playing in the next Ryder Cup.

AAP reports that according US Ryder Cup Zach Johnson players will only be selected based on points gained in PGA of America events.

“In order to play on the Ryder Cup team, whether you’re top six or a pick, you must garner Ryder Cup points through the PGA of America,” Johnson said.

“In order to garner Ryder Cup points through the PGA of America you have to be a member of the PGA of America. The way that we’re members of the PGA of America is through the PGA Tour.

“I’ll let you connect the dots from there.”