RORY MCILROY AT THE 2022 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. PHOTO MATT HOOPER.
Record overall prize fund of $144.2million for regular DP World Tour events next season
Increase in Rolex Series prize funds
Player Earnings Assurance Programme to be introduced
3 NOVEMBER, 2022 - DP WORLD TOUR: The DP World Tour today announced its full 12-month schedule for the 2023 season, featuring a minimum of 39 tournaments in 26 countries, once again emphasising its position as golf’s global Tour.
DP World Tour members will compete for an overall prize fund of $144.2million across the tournaments outside the Major Championships and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (see Appendix 1 for the full schedule) including an increased bonus pool of $6million for the leading eight players on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
As part of this record total prize fund, the 2023 season will also see the introduction of a new Earnings Assurance Programme for DP World Tour members.
Exempt players in categories 1-17 will be guaranteed minimum earnings of $150,000 if they compete in 15 or more events as part of the programme (see Appendix 2 for further details) which was agreed by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee last week.
Both the record prize fund, increased bonus pool and Earnings Assurance Programme have been made possible by the DP World Tour’s operational joint venture partnership with the PGA TOUR which was announced in June.
Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “For us to be able to offer our members record prize funds and enhanced earning opportunities is massive, particularly when global economies are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and with the new challenge of rising inflation significantly putting pressure on costs in all facets of our business.
“Our overall prize fund for the 2023 season represents $50 million more than 2021 and also underlines the strength of our partnership with the PGA TOUR, who are working with us to drive revenue and a long-term growth plan.
“One of the many benefits we have been able to introduce because of this partnership is the new Earnings Assurance Programme, similar to what they already have on the PGA TOUR. I have always believed that it is an incredible accomplishment for any professional golfer to simply gain their playing rights on the DP World Tour and this new initiative recognises and rewards that achievement.
“Although we will never lose the magic of the meritocracy and purity of a performance-based structure, this now offers certainty of income to those players who have made it to the pinnacle of the professional game in Europe.
“Alongside the John Jacobs Bursary for the top five players who graduate to the DP World Tour from the Challenge Tour, it will provide security and a strong platform for emerging players in particular as they come through the global pathways we have created.”
Included in the DP World Tour’s record prize fund of $144.2million is an increase in the tournament prize funds for the first four Rolex Series events of 2023. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship all move from $8million in 2022 to $9million next year, ahead of the $10million season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The DP World Tour’s global schedule begins with on November 24, 2022, with a double header – the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane and the Joburg Open in South Africa. The former is one of two tournaments in Australia on the DP World Tour schedule as part of the Strategic Alliance with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, while the latter is one of six events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, also as part of a strategic alliance.
Four new tournaments in Asia are also included on the 2023 schedule, with the Singapore Classic (February 9-12) and Thailand Classic (February 16-19) taking place in consecutive weeks, followed by the Tour’s first trip to Japan for the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP (April 20-23) and a return to Korea for the first time since 2013 (April 27-30).
In Europe, there are dates changes for several tournaments, including the Horizon Irish Open moving to September 7-10, while the Italian Open will take place from May 4-7 ahead of venue Marco Simone Golf & Country Club hosting the 2023 Ryder Cup from September 29 – October 1.
There is also a new three-week summer break in the schedule following the 151st Open Championship and Barracuda Championship (both July 20-23) which has been introduced following player feedback. Further details about the autumn events will be announced in due course.
DP World Tour members will compete for an overall prize fund of $144.2million across the tournaments outside the Major Championships and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (see Appendix 1 for the full schedule) including an increased bonus pool of $6million for the leading eight players on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
As part of this record total prize fund, the 2023 season will also see the introduction of a new Earnings Assurance Programme for DP World Tour members.
Exempt players in categories 1-17 will be guaranteed minimum earnings of $150,000 if they compete in 15 or more events as part of the programme (see Appendix 2 for further details) which was agreed by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee last week.
Both the record prize fund, increased bonus pool and Earnings Assurance Programme have been made possible by the DP World Tour’s operational joint venture partnership with the PGA TOUR which was announced in June.
Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “For us to be able to offer our members record prize funds and enhanced earning opportunities is massive, particularly when global economies are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and with the new challenge of rising inflation significantly putting pressure on costs in all facets of our business.
“Our overall prize fund for the 2023 season represents $50 million more than 2021 and also underlines the strength of our partnership with the PGA TOUR, who are working with us to drive revenue and a long-term growth plan.
“One of the many benefits we have been able to introduce because of this partnership is the new Earnings Assurance Programme, similar to what they already have on the PGA TOUR. I have always believed that it is an incredible accomplishment for any professional golfer to simply gain their playing rights on the DP World Tour and this new initiative recognises and rewards that achievement.
“Although we will never lose the magic of the meritocracy and purity of a performance-based structure, this now offers certainty of income to those players who have made it to the pinnacle of the professional game in Europe.
“Alongside the John Jacobs Bursary for the top five players who graduate to the DP World Tour from the Challenge Tour, it will provide security and a strong platform for emerging players in particular as they come through the global pathways we have created.”
Included in the DP World Tour’s record prize fund of $144.2million is an increase in the tournament prize funds for the first four Rolex Series events of 2023. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship all move from $8million in 2022 to $9million next year, ahead of the $10million season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The DP World Tour’s global schedule begins with on November 24, 2022, with a double header – the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane and the Joburg Open in South Africa. The former is one of two tournaments in Australia on the DP World Tour schedule as part of the Strategic Alliance with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, while the latter is one of six events co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, also as part of a strategic alliance.
Four new tournaments in Asia are also included on the 2023 schedule, with the Singapore Classic (February 9-12) and Thailand Classic (February 16-19) taking place in consecutive weeks, followed by the Tour’s first trip to Japan for the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP (April 20-23) and a return to Korea for the first time since 2013 (April 27-30).
In Europe, there are dates changes for several tournaments, including the Horizon Irish Open moving to September 7-10, while the Italian Open will take place from May 4-7 ahead of venue Marco Simone Golf & Country Club hosting the 2023 Ryder Cup from September 29 – October 1.
There is also a new three-week summer break in the schedule following the 151st Open Championship and Barracuda Championship (both July 20-23) which has been introduced following player feedback. Further details about the autumn events will be announced in due course.
REACTION AND ANALYSIS BY MATT HOOPER: TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2023 DP WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE WAS A MILESTONE FOR THE FORMER EUROPEAN TOUR, AND IT EMPHASISED THAT IT VERY DEFINITELY IS THE FORMER EUROPEAN TOUR, WITH ONLY 18 OF THE 39 EVENTS TAKING PLACE ON THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE. INDEED, THE TOUR'S FIRST EVENT ON EUROPEAN SOIL IS NOT UNTIL MAY, AND THE ITALIAN OPEN AT RYDER CUP VENUE, MARCO SIMONE COUNTRY CLUB, NEAR ROME.
THE 3-WEEK SUMMER BREAK IS GOOD ON THREE FRONTS - FIRSTLY IT SHOULD MEAN PLAYERS WILL PLAY MORE OFTEN ACROSS THE REST OF THE SEASON, RESULTING IN STRONGER FIELDS ACROSS THE BOARD. SECONDLY IT MEANS THAT THE DP WORLD TOUR WON'T BE STAGING EVENTS OPPOSITE 3 OF THE PGA TOUR'S SEASON-ENDING EVENTS, AND FINALLY IT MEANS THAT COME 2024 AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES, THE DP WORLD TOUR AT LEAST WILL NOT BE STAGING EVENTS OPPOSITE THE BIGGEST SPORTS EVENT IN THE WORLD. THIS WILL ALLOW QUALIFIED PLAYERS TO PREPARE FOR AND EXPERIENCE THE WHOLE OF PARIS 2024. THIS IS SOMETHING THE ENTIRE GOLF "ECOSYSTEM" SHOULD BE CONSIDERING FROM 2024 ONWARDS.
MUCH IS MADE IN THE INCREASE IN PURSES FOR THE 2023 DP WORLD TOUR SEASON, WITH THE ROLEX SERIES EVENTS INCREASING TO $9MILLION, BUT THE COLD HARD FACTS ARE THE WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN WILL OFFER $20MILLION, MORE THAN THE COMBINED PURSE OF THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP. THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE MAY WELL ALLOW THE DP WORLD TOUR TO GET RICHER, AND OFFER MORE MONEY TO THE PLAYERS, BUT IT WILL NEVER ALLOW EVENTS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO OFFER A PURSE WHICH IS AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PREMIER PGA TOUR EVENTS. THAT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG.
THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR COULD HAVE, AND SHOULD HAVE, IN RESPONSE TO LIV, COME TOGETHER TO FORM A TRULY GLOBAL TOUR, WITH A MINIMUM OF 2 (SOMETIMES 3) EVENTS EVERY WEEK, AND RAISE PURSES AT KEY GLOBAL EVENTS TO THE $20MILLION LEVEL. PLEASE DO NOT BANG ON ABOUT TV AUDIENCES, THE TV RATINGS FOR THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR ON SKY SPORTS ARE ABOMINABLE, AND THE YOUTUBE LIVE STREAMS ARE WATCHED BY EVEN LESS PEOPLE THAN THE MUCH DERIDED LIV GOLF.
IMAGINE A ROLEX SERIES, WITH $20MILLION PURSES INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:
SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN
ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP
DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN
GENESIS INVITATIONAL
ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY
RBC HERITAGE
WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP
ITALIAN OPEN
OPEN DE FRANCE
THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
RBC CANADIAN OPEN
GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN
FEDEX ST JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
CURRENTLY THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR ARE SET TO STAGE A TOTAL OF 84 TOURNAMENTS OUTSIDE THE MAJORS ACROSS THE 2022-23 SEASON, AND EACH OF THOSE EVENTS COULD COUNT TOWARDS THE FEDEX CUP. THE 22 ROLEX SERIES EVENTS WOULD BE THE PINNACLE OF A NEW, GLOBAL PGA TOUR. THIS IS SOMETHING BOTH ENTITIES ARE SURELY LOOKING TO DO, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT VERY MUCH FEELS LIKE ALL WE HAVE IS A VERY RICH SECOND DIVISION IN THE DP WORLD TOUR. I LOVE GOLF, I WANT TO SEE THE SPORT OF GOLF PLAYED BY THE BEST, AROUND THE WORLD. IT ISN'T AND NEVER WILL BE ENOUGH TO JUST SEE A HANDFUL AT SELECT EVENTS ON THE DP WORLD TOUR, OR WATCH THEM ON TV. FOR GOLF TO REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL WE NEED ONE, SINGLE, TRULY WORLD TOUR.
