DP World Tour chief tournament and operations officer Ben Cowen (left to right), Christian Hardy, SVP, International, PGA Tour, Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour and Guy Kinnings, CEO, European Tour Group at Tuesday’s announcement. Image courtesy DP World Tour.
By Rahul Banerji
The Asian Tour, DP World (European) Tour and PGA Tour on Tuesday announced a partnership till at least 2029, bringing together three of the globe’s largest men’s professional golf circuits.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour – through their existing strategic alliance – will partner with the Asian Tour to help provide commercial and playing opportunities, a statement issued by the DP World Tour said.
The agreement will also establish pathways for the leading Asian Tour members, with playing rights starting from the 2027 DP World Tour season, a critical step up from the teh world’s largest regional tour.
The DP World Tour will also return to co-sanctioning select tournaments with the Asian Tour from 2027. Details of those events will be outlined when the DP World Tour’s schedule for next season is announced later this year.
The DPWT and Asian Tour had a strategic alliance from 2016 to 2021. It formalised a relationship which originally began in February 1999 when the Malaysian Open became the first tournament to be co-sanctioned by the two tours.
In total, 108 tournaments have been co-sanctioned, with a further 21 events tri-sanctioned with either the Sunshine Tour or PGA Tour of Australasia.
Greater opportunities
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “We feel the time is now right to collaborate with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour to enhance the Asian Tour for our members, fans and partners.
“Bringing the three Tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia.
“Not only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other Tours to our pinnacle events, which showcase the strength and diversity of golf in Asia.”
Added Ben Cowen, chief tournament and operations officer for the DP World Tour, “We are delighted to rekindle our historic relationship with the Asian Tour and indeed strengthen it with the addition of the PGA Tout to our new partnership.
“As Golf’s Global Tour, we bring together the best international talent and the formal pathways established by this partnership will provide unprecedented international opportunities for Asian Tour members.
Positive step
“Our agreement therefore represents not only a hugely positive step for golf in Asia, but also an exciting new era of collaboration for our game globally.”
Christian Hardy, Senior Vice President of International at the PGA TOUR, said: “This agreement is another example of what can be accomplished when organisations come together with a shared vision for the future of professional golf.
“Through our strategic alliance with the DP World Tour, we have worked to build a more connected global golf ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort.
“Together, we are creating new opportunities for players, enhancing key National Opens around the world and continuing to evolve and strengthen pathways to identify and develop the next generation of elite talent,” the DPWT statement added.
It now remains to be seen how the men’s domestic professional golf ecosystem fits itself into this new and much-needed world order.
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