For too long, the European Tour has been the poor, money-strapped cousin of the PGA Tour.
That has changed.
DP World has made an historic move that will change the European Tour forever and it will start with the name. The European Tour is no more starting in 2022. It will be known as the DP World Tour. DP World is an Emirata multi-national logistics corporation based in Dubai and the CEO is Sultan Ahmed bin Selayem. The company is a specialist in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. In other words — it is HUGE.
So is the money that DP World is throwing the European Tour’s way — it will bring the rebranded DP World Tour’s total prize money of $200 million. Now the minimum purse for the events will be $2 million. To put the increase in perspective, the European Tour total purses were $70 million in 2020 and $104 million in 2021.
DP World was already invested in the European Tour. The year-end finale is the DP World Tour Championship and the year-long points chase, the equivalent of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup race, is appropriately called The Race To Dubai.
The rebranding better defines the European Tour, which has branched out in many other countries outside Europe. In all, there are 47 tournaments in 27 different countries and there will be new events in the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Africa and Belgium. The prize-rich Rolex Series is expanding to included five events — Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Genesis Scottish Open the BMW PGA Championship and next week’s DP World Championship.
The alliance will also have three tournaments co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour — the Scottish Open, Barbasol and Barracuda Championship as part of the strategic alliance that was previously made with the PGA Tour.
The year 2022 is significant for both the former European Tour and DP World — both came into existence in 1972 — both have been around 50 years. Main difference is that the European Tour has typically always been strapped for cash while DP World creates cash by the boat load.
The added prize money also accomplishes something big for both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. It has padded the defense wall against the proposed Saudi Premier Golf League.
Now the European Tour has enough clout to join PGA Tour Commish Jay Monahan (aka The Sheriff Of Nottingham) with that “them or us” ultimatum.
Truth be known, it’s got to be a giant relief that DP World, a Dubai company, came up with the money rather than the Saudis.
Rory McIlroy, one of the prime faces of the European Tour, said the deal “was great news for global golf.”
Tommy Fleetwood, a full-time star on the now DP World Tour, said the money provides “stability and excitement” for its members.
Along with the players, you can bet the now DP World Tour chief exec — Keith Pelley — is a happy guy.
The forerunner of the now DP World Tour will always be the European Tour — the Tour that the late Seve Ballesteros brought to the world. “We will always remember our heritage,” Pelley said. “And (we remember) those who have gone before us who helped us shape our tour — but we also rejoice in our global footprint.”
They can also rejoice over that $200 million.
Thank-you DP World. Glad it was you and not the Saudis.
Perhaps Federal Express should follow DP World and insist that the PGA Tour change its name to — The FedEx Tour.
5 Comments
baxter cepeda
Thank the Saudi pressure for getting the salaries on that tour doubled.
The name thing is fascinating. This really seems like it’s still the European Tour -which is the foundation of the European Ryder a cup team- simply selling out its name to a title sponsor which happens to be called DP World.
What if the Company name was simply DP, the name would probably be the DP Tour.
I kind of thought with all this kumbaya happening between the top two established tours — thanks to the Saudi league pressure— that we would end up with a PGA Tour Europe.
It’s worth noting that while 200$ million sounds like good work if you can get it; the pga tour prize fund is at 375$ million …plus another 70$ million for the fed ex cup bonuses…plus that PIP money which fittingly ended with Tiger taking home a cool 8$ million.
So this increase is great but IMO this raise for the boys over there has left their base identity —their brand— a bit confusing. I guess we can thank the Saudis for that too.
Tom Edrington
The Saudis are still scheming as we write this; They don’t want to go away and they’re not paying Greg Norman to twiddle his thumbs; When you look at the countries the European Tour visits outside Europe, it is definitely a world tour, not just one limited to Europe.
baxter cepeda
I get that but just looked at the Euros schedule for next year. They have that long stretch in South Africa (the Gary Player influence is still strong), a China and Japan event, as well as India, then randomly the Barbasol is part of their tour now somehow, but aside from that It’s mostly Europe with a lot of those oil rich desert nations they have been selling out to; most of which may not be the Saudis but not exactly models of equality and what not in their own right; much less golf crazed.
The pga tour has events in China, Japan, Mexico and other countries as well. It doesn’t feel much different.
It feels very similar for Europe, just some more money and a title sponsor for a tour name which happens to say the word world.
This world tour never touches central or South America, only 1 or 2 African countries, Australia never gets a visit, as well as its neighbors, heck not even many Asian nations who are golf crazed are getting near the love as those countries with a whole lot of oil.
Tom Edrington
Those faraway places would cause a LOT of jet-lag….
baxter cepeda
A true world tour would need to be very strategically planned as happens with the World Surf League WCT, which goes to Europe, Asia, South America, Central America/Mexico, Hawaii and other South Pacific locations, both ends of Australia and more.
But the WSL Championship Tour has a relatively small number of events and a relatively short season so the best of the best are always together, always the same level of travel fatigued; which is what the Saudis and Norman want for golf. As with golf there are many other qualifier level events going on year round for surfing which the top guys can participate in if they feel like it.
Anyhow I would still call this rebranding of the Euro Tour ‘PGA Tour DP World’ or ‘DP World PGA Tour’ (whoever pays more).
The best of the best events from all the PGA Tours should create their version of a premier league. The key is getting all those top players together to countries like South Africa, Australia, India, China, Argentina and more.
Btw many of the events in Europe, like the one last week in Portugal, need venue changes or significant remodels. Some of the venues are really quite bad. As much as I may want to watch a tournament on the dvr, it’s hard sometimes when the course creates such a boring vanilla product.