What’s Next for the DP World Tour?

When news of next year’s designated events structure was announced last week, there was plenty of banter about the pros and cons of the plan and the implications for players and fans. There wasn’t much anyone agreed upon except for one thing: the DP World Tour got the short end of the stick. The memo that went out to players made no mention of the DPWT and no indication that an international designated event would be held.

If you’re a glass-half-empty person, this slight is another blow for a tour that’s getting closer to feeder status. If you’re a glass-half-full person, there are reasons to be optimistic that, as the schedule solidifies over the coming months, the DP World Tour won’t be left behind.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan’s press conference on Tuesday didn’t provide any major revelations, but when asked about how the new changes would benefit the DP World Tour, Monahan didn’t give specifics, but he reaffirmed his commitment to his “strategic ally.” European Tour CEO Keith Pelley is on site this week, and the two have been reviewing the DPWT’s schedule for opportunities. As Monahan put it, “The early signs are that we’re on a really good path.” That path would most likely involve the Genesis Scottish Open, a co-sanctioned event, getting the designated distinction.

Pelley is surely pushing for more than one designated event outside of the U.S., and he’s got a big name pushing along with him. Rory McIlroy has been vocal about the strategic alliance doing more to elevate DP World Tour events. When asked about what the changes mean for the DPWT, McIlroy made it known last week that one thing he’d like to see is the “designated events schedule trying to get some of those tournaments in the mix overseas.”

As Monahan and Pelley continue to work out the details, they’re also keenly aware of a pending legal decision that could turn the tables on them at any moment. In early February, a five-day arbitration hearing was held in London between DPWT representatives and lawyers representing LIV. The hearing is the result of LIV players Ian Poulter, Adrián Otaegui, and Justin Harding challenging the DPWT’s decision to deny them a release to play in the inaugural LIV event last June. A judge granted a stay, which has allowed them to participate in DPWT events up to this point.

If the arbitration panel rules in LIV’s favor, the league’s players will have the freedom to play DP World Tour events as they please. The ruling could be announced tomorrow, next week, or months from now. When asked on Tuesday what an outcome in LIV’s favor would mean for the alliance, Monahan declined to comment. There’s no doubt, though, that LIV players making regular appearances on the DPWT would not be a welcome state of affairs from Ponte Vedra’s perspective.

If the strategic alliance were to end up on shaky ground, Pelley would have the consolation prize of stronger fields, with the likes of Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Joaquín Niemann teeing it up in DPWT events. Headlines and attention would follow, as the drama of LIV pariahs commingling with tour loyalists has already proven a potent source of content.

But for those who would like to see the PGA and DP World tours stand together against the LIV threat, the glass may look slightly more full after Monahan’s comments yesterday.

What would you, as a fan, prefer to see: a strong strategic alliance that would bring multiple designated events to the DPWT schedule, or a ceasefire between the DPWT and LIV that would allow LIV players to keep making starts and stirring the pot on the European circuit?