Paul McGinley dismisses DP World Tour 'feeder' circuit claims

Paul McGinley, a winning Ryder Cup captain at Gleneagles in 2014, insists the DP World Tour is not set to become just a “feeder” circuit for the PGA Tour.

As part of a new 13-year partnership, ten PGA Tour cards will be up for grabs through the DP World Tour starting in 2023.

If that had been in place last year, Scottish duo Bob MacIntyre and Calum Hill would have held full status for the US circuit this season.

“Lots of opinions that DPWT will be a feeder tour to PGAT,” wrote McGinley in a post on social media of the strengthening of a Strategic Alliance that had been formed in November 2020.

Paul McGinley, the victorious 2014 European Ryder Cup team captain, speaks with members of the media at Gleneagles. Picture: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

“European players have always gravitated to America and come back to play our bigger events and this will continue.

“This deal formalises clear pathways as well as securing enhanced prize funds from this year’s record levels.”

That view had earlier been expressed by DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley during a video conference with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“This was always the road map,” said Pelley, speaking ahead of next week’s first co-sanctiond Genesis Scottish Open, which will feature 14 of the world’s top 15 players.

“The existential threat in LIV Investments escalated what we had already planned. But I couldn't be more excited about it. I

“The 10 spots is one component of this. It's a wonderful opportunity for our players and I just had a player that had just lost his PGA Tour card come and say to me, ‘this is the greatest thing ever’.

“But I'm certainly not looking at it that we are a feeder tour to the PGA Tour. We're a dynamic, vibrant independent tour with national opens, with heat moments like the Scottish Open that is going to be the greatest tournament that this tour has seen.”

Two other upcoming events, the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship, are being co-sanctioned, but it remains to be seen if more will follow.

“I think at this point we're excited to get to the Genesis Scottish Open, the Barbasol, the Barracuda,” said Monahan.

“We're going into the next couple of weeks with our eyes wide open. We couldn't possibly be more excited. But right now we don't have any plans to add on that front.”