'The DP World Tour Should Have Been LIV's Home' - Chubby Chandler Believes Keith Pelley Was Wrong To Turn Down Saudi Investment

The DP World Tour made an error in not accepting investment from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) back in 2021, according to golf agent Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler.

PIF, which went on to establish the disruptive LIV Golf in 2022, had initially looked to invest its money in one of golf's already-established Tours.

Reports have since revealed that the PIF did meet with the DP World Tour in the summer of 2021, with chief executive Keith Pelley and the Tour's board ultimately opting to resist Saudi investment and double down on its "strategic alliance" with the PGA Tour.

However, with men's professional golf now bitterly divided, Chandler, a former agent for Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, believes the DP World Tour may regret that decision.

"The DP World Tour should have been LIV's home. When they were offered the deal two years ago they should have taken it," he said speaking to Golf Monthly. 

"That would have solved a lot of problems for everybody. They would have world rankings points and the DP World Tour would have got the investment and the big names.

"If LIV is only going to be 14 tournaments, why couldn't that have fit that into the DP World Tour and everybody would have won? Have those as 14 limited-field events – much like the PGA Tour is doing with their Signature Events  - and the top Europeans could have played and they could have got on with it."

The DP World Tour could still be the beneficiary of Saudi investment, with talks ongoing between the PIF, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, although the PGA Tour's recent $3bn investment deal with Strategic Sports Group (SSG) has appeared to slow down progress on any such agreement being finalised. 

Throughout his tenure, Pelley, who will leave his post as the Tour's head in April, has faced criticism from some who believe the Tour has been reduced to little more than a feeder circuit for the richer PGA Tour. 

Chandler, however, defended the Canadian's record but said the incoming chief executive Guy Kinnings would be wise to revisit the aforementioned "strategic alliance" with the PGA Tour. 

"I think Keith Pelley did unbelievably through Covid," the 70-year-old added. "You look at this week in Kenya where they are playing for $2.5m. Who would have thought that would be possible? So, I think he did a decent job.

"My guess is they are better off than they would have been. But they definitely need to address the PGA Tour alliance because that might be holding them back - that is for Guy [Kinnings] to sort out."

Chandler was speaking in association with InstantCasinos.com.