Why Tommy Fleetwood agrees with Rory McIlroy over thorny DPWT/PGA Tour issue

Tommy Fleetwood believes Europe's top golfers should be offered direct pathways into the PGA Tour's Championship Series from 2028 because "it's the right thing to do".

On Tuesday, the PGA Tour revealed the new membership categories for its two-tier promotion and relegation system, which begins in two years' time.

Golfers will switch between a Championship and Challenger Series, with the top tier competing for whopping $20m purses. 

But PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp did not confirm how many cards will be offered to top performers on the DP World Tour (DPWT).

Rolapp said this is currently being discussed, along with extending the strategic alliance with the Old World circuit, and cannot envisage a scenario whereby the DPWT doesn't receive any pathways into the elite tier.

Under the current competitive structure, the leading 10 players in the Race to Dubai earn PGA Tour cards for the following campaign.

There have been unsubstantiated reports that this could be whittled down to just three.

Fleetwood's Ryder Cup team-mate Rory McIlroy played down concerns on the subject when he was asked about the situation ahead of the BMW PGA Championship and even opined that he believed DPWT players would be making a "lateral move" if they were to tee up on the PGA Tour's second division in two years' time.

Fleetwood told reporters on Wednesday that he "probably" agrees with the reigning Masters champion.

"I think Rory described it well," said Fleetwood. "[It is] a lateral move, [but] at the same time, I don't know what the pathway should look like.

"I'm very, very happy having nothing to do with that and sort of not [having] a big opinion on it. I'm happy to be a player and trying to play.

"I think the right thing to do for this tour would be to have some spots to the Championship Series."

DP World Tour play-offs concern

Fleetwood was also asked about Matthew Fitzpatrick's comments about the prospect of travelling to the Middle East for the DP World Tour's play-offs in November. 

The former U.S. Open champion expressed concern that the United Arab Emirates might be a target in the ongoing conflict between the United States, Iran and Israel. 

Fitzpatrick said recently becoming a father changed his perspective, adding that he has been "frustrated" by the lack of a decision. 

Fleetwood lives in Dubai with his wife Clare, son Frankie and two step-children Oscar and Mo. 

The 35-year-old said he went home after the Tour Championship in Atlanta and felt perfectly safe doing the school run and working on his game. 

"I think all the preparations for those tournaments to go ahead, and I think our plans and hopes are that we'll be in the Middle East at the end of the year," he said. 

"I'm not someone that is going to be update world politics and what's going on. 

"But I've just been there for two weeks. I went home after Atlanta. You know, as much as my knowledge, which kind of over the last two weeks has been school run and some practice, it's fine in both of those cases. T

"The school run has been fine and the driving range has been good. There's been nothing happening on those.

"I think everybody's their own person, and I think that everybody kind of makes their own decisions of how they feel and what's going on. 

"I can't be someone that knows what's going to happen in the future or knows worldly thinking or what's going on but from my own experience at home, it was great to go home for the last few weeks for some of us that live there."