PGA and European Tour alliance "stronger than ever"

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley says that the potential threat of the Premier Golf League has brought the two main tours closer together.

Jack Seddon's picture
Thu, 4 Jun 2020
PGA and European Tour alliance "stronger than ever"

Talks of a potential merger between the PGA and European Tour have been going on for years and now more fuel has been added to this slow-burning fire, after Keith Pelley said that conversations between the two tours are "stronger than ever."

Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour, explained on the McKellar podcast that although the European Tour doesn't need their American counterpart, working together and closer will certainly benefit both parties.

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“I do get a kick out of people saying we are going to go bankrupt,” Pelley said. “I had quite a chuckle when I heard people say the European Tour had to merge with the PGA Tour to survive financially – and to that I would say absolutely not.

“I have been having conversations with [PGA Tour commissioner] Jay Monahan for the past three years [and] there is definitely a will for us to work together.

“Those conversations are stronger than they’ve ever been. Where it leads I’m not sure but I am optimistic the PGA Tour and European Tour will work closer together in the future because that’s a positive for our game.

 

 

“But any strategic alliance that happens between our two tours has to be significantly beneficial to our membership and the PGA Tour membership.”

Pelley admitted that one of the main reasons for the European and PGA Tour's improved relationship is due to the possible threat of the Premier Golf League.

“I’ve been consistent on this front in not commenting on something that doesn’t yet exist,” he said.

“It’s not in the interest of our tour, and I think Jay feels the same, to create another entity in a sport which is already fractured.

“The combination of the new potential competitor combined with Covid-19 and now the relationship that we have heightens the chance of us working closer together.”

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