'A Fantastic Buffet Of Golf Throughout The Year' - Have We Had First Glimpse Of The Future Of Golf?
A recent interview with a high-ranking executive within the world of golf might have given us the biggest glimpse yet of what the future of the sport could look like if and when a PGA Tour-PIF deal gets made
Throughout the long, ongoing saga that is the protracted merger talks between the PGA and Saudi PIF the question keeps on coming back to just what will golf look like if and when we get an agreement.
We've merely had platitudes from the main protagonists so far with limited updates on "talks progressing" and "complex situations" that need addressing before a roadmap for the future can be hashed out.
It's all very frustrating as the lack of detail suggests the future still isn't known, but we may have just a glimmer of hope and a glimpse of the future thanks to one high-ranking executive working for DP World - the title sponsor of the European Tour.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Daniel Van Otterdijk gave an unusually upbeat update on the situation when claiming a deal could be done in six months.
What's more, even though DP World has no direct involvement in the discussions, as title sponsors of the European Tour they will have some knowledge of the details - and Van Otterdijk was very firm in how he saw things panning out.
And in his opinion, the upshot of months, stretching into years of negotiations will be a full year of top-level golf, with the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf all having their own place in the calendar.
“I can see an end-to-end calendar from January to December, where there's a prominent place for the PGA Tour, a prominent place for LIV Golf, and a prominent place for the DP World Tour, but there will be overlaps," Van Otterdijk told Gulf News.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
“A guy like Tommy (Fleetwood) can say, ‘Look, I want to keep my PGA Tour card, I want to play on the DP World Tour, but I'd like to play some LIV Golf events as well.’
“I think LIV Golf will combine their current team structure – that will probably drop, but they'll still have team events.
“If it's done right, and we think it will be, you could see this fantastic buffet of golf throughout the year in different places around the world, and one or two different formats that we aren’t used to seeing, such as team events.
“I'm confident that there will be an end-to-end calendar with about 60 tournaments, with players looking to play around 25 in order to gather all the points they need if they play well.
“If they don't play so well, they can add some events throughout the year, and then at the end of the year, you tally up the points and they are where they are. I think that will be great for the sport.”
How could the future of golf look?
There's a lot of sense in what Van Otterdijk has described as the new future of golf - and as we've said he may not be at the table but he will have some knowledge of what is going on.
Ultimately one of the main sticking points is players from LIV Golf who may want to return to the PGA Tour - even if there's not many of them - and what mechanism is used for that reintegration.
There's a lot of ill feeling still between a lot of the PGA Tour membership, especially those outside of the top 30 or so players - with the elite crop the main beneficiaries of the new riches rolling into the game.
Rory McIlroy's previous 'Champions League' format idea is similar to that put forward by Van Otterdijk but with perhaps this latest one having more of a focus on each different tour having their own spot in the calendar.
An interesting point is van Otterdijk being fairly certain that LIV Golf will ditch the current league format but continue to be a team-based competition to offer a varied format within that yearly structure.
So, it looks pretty simple on the surface, but when you factor in world ranking points, access to Majors and the all-important financial rewards, then once again it's a massive knot of red tape that needs to be untangled in order for golf to finally move forward.
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
-
Steve Sands Facts: 10 Things To Know About The Golf Channel Broadcaster
Steve Sands has been a familiar face on the Golf Channel for over two decades - here are 10 things to know about the American
By Mike Hall Published
-
Is Latest Ryder Cup Pay Report Really That Big A Deal?
A report states that US Ryder Cup players will receive $400,000 each for competing. Is it really that big of a deal?
By Elliott Heath Published
-
DP World Tour Q-School Set To Enter Seventh Day After Suspension
The 83 players in the hunt for a DP World Tour card will need to wait another day to complete the Infinitum Golf event, with heavy rainfall in the forecast for the Tarragona area of Spain
By Mike Hall Published
-
LIV Golf Announces Inaugural Korea Tournament In 2025 Schedule Update
The big-money circuit will visit South Korea for the first time in the 2025 season, while there will also be a stop at a new venue in Indiana
By Mike Hall Published
-
Rory McIlroy Admits Lack Of Fifth Major 'Stings' As He Grades 2024 Season
The World No.3 once again credited his own consistency after a year of several near-misses but admitted missing out on a fifth Major championship "stings"
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Report: Four US Tournaments 'Expected' To Drop Off LIV Golf Schedule
The Sports Business Journal reports that LIV Golf's Nashville, Houston, Las Vegas and Greenbrier tournaments are not expected to be on the 2025 schedule
By Elliott Heath Published
-
6 Key Takeaways From The 2025 DP World Tour Schedule
In the first DP World Tour schedule released since Guy Kinnings was appointed CEO, there are a number of interesting changes to the European-based circuit's 2025 calendar
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
DP World Tour Championship Tee Times: Round One
The final event of the DP World Tour season sees Rory McIlroy closing in on his sixth Race to Dubai title
By Mike Hall Published
-
DP World Tour Brings Back Old Favorites In 2025 Schedule Announcement
The DP World Tour has confirmed its 2025 schedule, with at least 42 events in 26 different countries and a record total prize fund of $153 million outside the Majors
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
DP World Tour Championship Prize Money Payout 2024
There’s tournament prize money and Race to Dubai bonus payouts at the DP World Tour’s season finale in Dubai
By Mike Hall Published