Paul McGinley Steps Down As DP World Tour Board Member

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley cited personal reasons and accusation of media conflicts of interest as reasons

Paul McGinley pictured at a press conference
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Paul McGinley has decided to step down as a DP World Tour Board Member due in part to avoid being accused of having a conflict of interest with his media roles.

The 56-year-old was appointed to the Board of the European Tour, as it was then, back in 2016 – two years after leading European to a clinical Ryder Cup victory at Gleneagles.

McGinley has been a hugely vocal supporter of golf in Europe, but he’s also taken up media roles in recent years, appearing on both Sky Sports in the UK and also on American TV as a Golf Channel analyst.

The four-time winner in Europe took to Twitter to reveal that he had two reasons for giving up his position on the DP World Tour Board – one for personal reasons and the other to avoid criticism.

“Clearing things up as many seem to want to read more into it - I did not renew my contract as a DPWT Board member for 2 reasons,” McGinley wrote on Twitter.

“1. Personal circumstances and 2. As transparency is so important to me I did not like being accused of being in conflict with my media roles.”

McGinley has been on the board during unprecedented upheaval with the game globally as well as just in Europe.

LIV Golf has splintered the game in half, while the Strategic Alliance between European golf and the PGA Tour has drawn huge criticism and accusations that it will downgrade it to merely a feeder tour for its American big brother.

McGinley, though, has defend all the big decisions he’s been a part of during his time on the board, and backed Keith Pelley to steer the DP World Tour during it’s toughest ever period.

“I stand by all the big decisions made over the last few years and have full faith in KP, his team and the Board going forward to continue making logical decisions that best position the DPWT for the challenges ahead,” McGinley added.

Paul Higham
Contributor

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.