'Unquestionably The No.2 Tour' - Keith Pelley Hits Back At Feeder Tour Claims

Keith Pelley has rubbished suggestions the DP World Tour could become the fifth-best tour in the world and branded claims it has become a feeder tour as “nonsense”.

The DP World Tour chief came out firing when quizzed about the supposed demise of the former European Tour, though when asked if he’d spoken to Sergio Garcia, who is said to be the source of the quote, Pelley said they’d not spoken for "five or six weeks".

“Some of these players have said we are a feeder tour, and even made a suggestion that we are headed towards being the fifth tour in the world,” said Pelley ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. “A feeder tour is a tour that exists purely to allow players to get to the next level. The Challenge Tour is a feeder tour. The Korn Ferry Tour is a feeder tour. I'll ask you: Is this week a tournament that is on a feeder tour? A tournament that has sold-out crowds, television coverage around the world in 150 countries, five of the Top 15 players in the world? A tournament with 150 accredited media?

“Was our first co-sanctioned event with the PGA Tour in Scotland, where 14 of the Top 15 players played a tournament, would that appear on a feeder tour? I could go on and on. Italy, next week, for example, with the current US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick teeing it up. No, is the answer to all these questions. So can we please just stop the feeder tour nonsense once and for all.

“And as to the point of heading towards being the world's fifth tour, one of our members who is playing here this week actually said that. It's unbelievable. And again, let's look at the facts. If the metrics we’re determining the top tours in the world is just money, then the No.1 tour is the PGA Tour. Always has been. You could argue that the LIV Invitational Series is No.2. But the Asian Tour, 22.5million; Korn Ferry, 20million; Japan, 28million; Australia, 5.8; Sunshine Tour, 7.4: Totalling all their prize funds together comes to just half of our tour. So even if the only metric is money, how possibly could we ever become No.5.

“But I genuinely personally don't believe the metric should be just prize fund: Playing opportunities, tournaments, number of countries, number of broadcast partners, the quality of our sponsors, different nationalities of our players and then total number of players, innovation both inside and outside the ropes. Inclusivity including embracing the women's game.

“What you saw yesterday with golfers with a disability and our ability to develop a world tour for golfers with a disability. If those are the metrics, and I haven't even mentioned The Ryder Cup, which we operate in Europe, then we are not only golf's global tour, but we are also unquestionably the No.2 tour in the world by a country mile. Yet one of our players said we are on the way to being No.5. Wow.”

When a journalist put it to Pelley that it was Garcia who made the fifth best tour comment, he replied: “I have not had a chat since then, no. I have not. I have chatted to Sergio throughout the last couple of months, but I have not had dialogue with him for probably five or six weeks.

A number of those now playing with LIV Golf have spoken of their worry about the direction the DP World Tour is taking, fearing it will become a feeder to the PGA Tour after the two formed a strategic alliance that will see PGA Tour cards given to the top 10 finishers in the Race to Dubai.

Lee Westwood said he told Pelley that “getting into bed with the PGA Tour was a mistake” while Richard Bland has criticised the “awful” deal agreed between the DP World and PGA Tours, fearing it will see a talent drain towards the US with the top 10 DP World Tour players earning PGA Tour cards.