Keith Pelley says investors behind $3bn PGA Tour deal have 'distinct global focus'

DP World Tour CEO sends memo to members in bid to provide reassurance over Strategic Alliance

DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley has sent a memo to his members about the PGA Tour's $3 billion deal with the Strategic Sports Group. Picture: Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images.

Departing CEO Keith Pelley has written to DP World Tour members in a bid to provide reassurance that the circuit will secure some benefit from golf’s latest mega-money deal.

It was announced on Wednesday that the PGA Tour has struck a $3 billion deal with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) that will lead to players on the US circuit being eligible for over $1.5 billion in equity through a new venture called PGA Tour Enterprises.

That led to multiple DP World Tour winner Pablo Larrazabal claiming it was a case of “the old boys’ club deal again” due to it only involving the PGA Tour at a time when it is in partnership with the DP World Tour through a Strategic Alliance, but, in a memo to his members, Pelley has insisted that won’t necessarily be the case.

The Canadian, who is handing over the reins to his deputy Guy Kinnings in April to take up a dream job in his native Toronto, wrote: “First thing to say is that the game of golf as we know it is changing and I believe this provides the opportunity for unity.

"Secondly, negotiations involving ourselves, the PGA Tour and PIFare still on-going and I believe this announcement gives continued momentum to those discussions as well as being an important step to possible overall alignment between all four entities, SSG included.

“Thirdly, the SSG, led by their principal investor, the Fenway Sports Group, are unquestionably impactful in the US but, more importantly, they have a distinct global focus - it is the reason FSG became owners of Liverpool Football Club in 2010 for example.

“Finally, for the avoidance of any doubt, our current Strategic Alliance with the PGA Tour which guarantees our prize funds and the ten cards initiative, remains firmly in place.”

Pelley pointed out in his memo that there had been prize fund increases across 11 tournaments on the DP World Tour this season and also highlighted Matthieu Pavon’s weekend win in the Farmers Insurance Open after being among ten players to secure PGA Tour cards through last season’s Race to Dubai.

“Ever since I arrived at the tour in August 2015, my leadership team and I have strived to enable you to make as much money as possible and initiatives such as this are a significant continuation of that,” he added.

In this week’s DP World Tour event, Scott Jamieson opened with a bogey-free five-under-par 67 to sit just three shots off the lead, held by Frenchman Tom Vaillant, in the Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies at Royal Golf Club.

“Yeah, that’s always nice as it doesn’t happen very often,” said the Scot of his blemish-free effort. “I didn’t play great, if I am being perfectly honest. I was able to take advantage of the few opportunities I had and then I scored well otherwise.”

On a benign day, 84 of the 132-strong field finished in red numbers after day one, but it’s hold on to your hats on Friday due to high winds being forecast. “I knew there was a little wind forecast for tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure that I put a good one up today,” added Jamieson, who sits a shot ahead of Connor Syme and two better than Calum Hill.