Ex-Ryder Cup captain doubles down on controversial PGA Tour-DPWT deal

Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes the DP World Tour's (DPWT) decision to hitch its wagon to the PGA Tour has ultimately proven to be the "right decision over time". 

The Wentworth-based circuit agreed a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour in 2020 and strengthened the commitment two years later. 

It has been reported that at one stage DPWT officials met with representatives of Golf Saudi and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (LIV's backers) to explore a potential investment. 

Some have argued the decision not to pursue the deal - that was floated in the summer of 2021 at a secret meeting in Malta - has ultimately turned out to be incorrect, with the DPWT being reduced to nothing more than a feeder tour for the North American circuit. 

But McGinley, 59, told a group of reporters in a media call ahead of the U.S. Open that he believes the it's proved to be the right decision over time, adding: "And it'll only get better going forward. 

"I think we've got some good stuff coming with the PGA Tour in the coming year. So, Europe’s in a great spot.”

One of the biggest criticisms has been the 10 cards initiative, which sees the leading players on the DPWT earn PGA Tour cards for the following season. 

Former DPWT chief executive Keith Pelley previously blasted accusations of being a feeder tour, stressing that the circuit was merely formalising a pathway that always existed. 

"The European Tour is a great breeding ground," McGinley said. "We've got great golf courses, we've got big crowds, we've got sellout crowds at a number of tournaments.

"I'm very proud of where it is, and how they've come through the last two or three years, with the addition of LIV onto the golfing scene, and the ferocious money that they were able to throw at world golf, which was pretty much our market before. So, we've done really well."

Not everybody agrees with McGinley, though. 

Pro golfer Eddie Pepperell explained on the most recent edition of the Chipping Forecast that he believes the PGA Tour's plan to introduce to two-tier system from 2021 will relegated the DPWT even further down the pecking order. 

PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said the Tiger Woods-chaired future competition committee took inspiration from the success of the English Premier League as they drew up plans to overhaul the schedule.

"The concern, and this is going to be dependent to the changes that come on the PGA Tour, is that the DP World Tour isn’t just the Championship, it's actually League 1," said Pepperell. 

"Because if we lose these players to tier two on the PGA Tour, then the DP World Tour are really getting no benefits because these players aren’t going to gain great visibility going to America playing the Texas Open, where they would if they were playing the Memorial, but they're not going to have access to the Memorial. 

"So depending on the changes that come their way at the PGA Tour, I think the DP World Tour is going to have to seriously reconsider these players and the amount they go across."

Pepperell added: "That being said, we’ve had this conversation it seems every year, and the next year we’re talking about new talent. 

"So the conveyor belt of talent within Europe and around Europe is still very strong and also you’re seeing players like Sami Valimakki coming back from the States because although they’ve had some success, they don’t actually love it over there and that’s a common theme and story I keep hearing. 

"So it’s going to be very interesting to see how many of those players would go across to play in America if they’re not having access to play in the very biggest tournaments. 

"Because some of them might decide, ‘you know what, I might keep my lifestyle in Europe because I prefer it so much more.'"