The DP World Tour will look — and pay — barely completely different this upcoming season.
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One yr into its title sponsorship, the phrase “DP World Tour” nonetheless takes some getting used to. The artist previously referred to as the European Tour has a protracted and storied historical past, in spite of everything, which implies the rebranded circuit will take a while to enter golf’s lexicon. Even the tour’s web site has one foot in the previous; sort in “dpworldtour.com” and also you’ll get redirected to “europeantour.com”. But Thursday’s schedule announcement for the 2023 season made one factor clear: This ain’t your dad’s European Tour.
The new schedule is emphasizing the “World” in DP World Tour; its 39 occasions will happen throughout 26 international locations and, counting its co-sanctioned occasions, 5 continents. By the time the circuit truly tees it up in continental Europe — in May, for the Italian Open — it’ll have contested almost 20 occasions.
How is that this yr completely different? New tournaments. More cash. Guaranteed cash. Strategic alliances left and proper. Some websites have vanished. Others have shifted. There’s even a miniature summer time trip! This was the DP World Tour’s first huge announcement since LIV vs. the PGA Tour started occupying the entirety of the golf world’s collective consciousness. And it seems like a step ahead.
Here are 13 important changes that may (hopefully) assist make sense of the new schedule.
1. They’re taking part in for more cash.
The first 4 Rolex Series occasions of 2023 — the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship — will all now function $9 million prize pots, up from $8 million a yr in the past, constructing to the $10 million season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
While LIV and the PGA Tour have engaged in an arms race that includes considerably extra monetary firepower than the DP World can muster, the uptick in prize cash indicators one thing essential to its gamers and sponsors: stability. The $144 million in purses is $50 million greater than 2021, when it rebooted post-pandemic.
In the schedule launch, DP World Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley pointed to the circuit’s monetary standing as proof of a profitable (if much-scrutinized) alliance with the PGA Tour, citing the “strength of our partnership with the PGA Tour, who are working with us to drive revenue and a long-term growth plan.”
2. The prime guys get more cash, too.
An further $6 million can be obtainable for the main eight gamers, due to a Rolex sponsorship. The PGA Tour has FedEx, the DP World Tour has Rolex. Players are glad for each.
The prime 10 gamers on the cash checklist may even earn PGA Tour playing cards, strengthening the connection between the circuits — though critics have claimed the relationship makes the DP World Tour primarily a “feeder tour” to the PGA Tour. But that’s the actuality of the scenario; the PGA Tour outpaces the DP World in cash and prime expertise, so there’s nonetheless loads to be gained from the relationship.
3. There’s a assured cash flooring.
The new “Earnings Assurance Programme” mimics an identical mannequin on the PGA Tour and ensures that exempt gamers who play at the very least 15 occasions on the DP World Tour will pocket a minimal of $150,000 at the finish of the season. In different phrases, if a participant has performed in 15 occasions and made $80,000 by the finish of the season, the DP World Tour pays an additional $70,000.
Rookies, Challenge Tour graduates and Q-School graduates can take as much as $20,000 immediately to fund “long-haul early season travel.” That can be an advance towards future earnings. Partial members may even get $1500 on weeks they miss the reduce to help with journey prices and tournament-related bills.
“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 recognizes and rewards that achievement,” Pelley stated in the launch.
4. There are strategic alliances in every single place.
Everywhere! While the MENA Tour earns no point out in the DP World’s launch, the DP does trumpet its strategic alliances with the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour. Life is healthier with associates. That will get us to the schedule, which begins with…
5. A mini Australian Swing.
Two occasions Down Under have been added to the DP World calendar: the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship (Nov. 24-27) at Royal Queensland in Brisbane, marking the starting of the new season, and the ISPS Handa Australian Open (Dec. 1-4) at Kingston Heath in Melbourne. The alliance is paying dividends already!
6. Then there’s a South African Swing.
This begins in parallel with the Australian occasions; the Joburg Open is Nov. 24-27, too, kicking off three consecutive occasions in South Africa adopted by the Mauritius Open. There may even be a secondary swing by the Mother Continent in March, with the Magical Kenya Open adopted by two extra occasions in South Africa.
7. The new yr begins with a Ryder Cup tune-up.
That can be the Hero Cup, a brand new crew match-play occasion that may kick off the 2023 calendar yr for the DP World Tour and is about to happen at Abu Dhabi Golf Club Jan. 13-15.
A ten-man crew from Great Britain and Ireland will tackle a 10-man crew from Continental Europe with the purpose of blooding rivals for the Ryder Cup come September 2023. Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald will preside over the occasion, which is able to encompass three days of match-play competitors.
8. Then comes an enriched Desert Swing.
The stroke-play portion of the season begins the following week at Yas Links, additionally in Abu Dhabi, the first of the yr’s $9 million Rolex Series occasions. That’s adopted by one other $9 million Rolex Series occasion, the Dubai Desert Classic, earlier than the swing wraps up at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, by which level a few of the huge names may have jetted again to the PGA Tour whereas the DP World regulars compete for a extra typical $2 million purse.
9. A brand-new Asian Swing options 4 new occasions.
Mostly new, at the very least. The Singapore Classic, Thailand Classic and Hero Indian Open taking us by the finish of Feburary. Two extra Asian occasions — the ISPS Handa in Japan and one other occasion in South Korea — will happen at the finish of April. In complete the DP World Tour has added 4 new occasions in Asia.
10. And then there’s the basic European Summer Swing.
See what I imply once I say this isn’t just the “European Tour” anymore? We’ve made it by April with out setting foot in Europe. But when you hit May the DP World has primarily six uninterrupted months of the tournaments the tour is greatest recognized for. Get able to trek by Italy (for a Ryder Cup preview) and on to Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, England, Denmark, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Ireland and France, which is able to take us into the Ryder Cup again in Italy once more.
11. There’s a summer time break.
This is an intriguing wrinkle; there’s a three-week break after the Open Championship (which wraps July 23) earlier than the subsequent DP World Tour occasion kicks off on Aug. 17. For reference, that break strains up with the closing two occasions of the PGA Tour’s common season — the 3M Open and Wyndham Championship — and its first playoff occasion, the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
There aren’t many breaks, that’s for certain. And whereas future variations of the schedule — 2024 and on — are prone to have extra breaks, this present model actually emphasizes the phrase “tour,” too. These guys can be barnstorming throughout the place.
12. The Irish Open has a brand new slot on the schedule.
In latest years the Irish Open has bounced round the summer time months, and consequently its biggest potential draw, Rory McIlroy, hasn’t at all times been capable of take part. This yr the Irish Open strikes to a brand new slot on the schedule, Sept. 7-10, placing it two weeks after the PGA Tour wraps up its season at East Lake. While he hasn’t stated something about the new date, it definitely appears believable that McIlroy — and different European stars together with Irishmen Shane Lowry and Seamus Power — would play the Irish Open and the BMW PGA back-to-back after which have every week off earlier than the Ryder Cup in Italy.
13. Valderrama appears…out.
This isn’t official official, however you’ll be able to just about guess the farm that LIV has planted its flag on Valderrama’s turf and that the DP World Tour received’t be returning subsequent October. And whereas the Spanish Open is in its spot on the schedule for Oct. 12-15 (making it seemingly that Jon Rahm, like McIlroy, will be capable of play his nationwide open) there are three open weeks after that with just “TBC” written on the DP World Tour’s schedule.
I’m undecided if TBC means “to be confirmed” or “to be continued.” Either manner, that looks like the proper word to finish on.
TBC.
The remainder of the schedule’s under.
2022
NOV. 24-27: Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Royal Queensland GC, Brisbane, Australia
NOV. 24-27: Joburg Open, Houghton GC, Johannesburg, South Africa
DEC. 1-4: ISPS Handa Australian Open, Victoria GC & Kingston Heath GC, Melbourne, Australia
DEC. 1-4: Investec South African Open Championship, Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate, Lanseria, Johannesburg, South Africa
DEC. 8-11: Alfred Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek CC, Malelane, South Africa
DEC. 15-18 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand Baie, Mauritius
2023
JAN. 13-15: Hero Cup, Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, UAE
JAN. 19-22: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, UAE
JAN. 26-29: Dubai Desert Classic, Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
FEB. 2-5: Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
FEB. 9-12: Singapore Classic, Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Singapore
FEB. 16-19: Thailand Classic, Amata Spring CC, Chon Buri, Bangkok, Thailand
FEB. 23-26: Hero Indian Open, TBA, India
MAR. 2-5: TBC
MAR. 9-12: Magical Kenya Open, Muthaiga GC, Nairobi, Kenya
MAR. 16-19: South African Event Confirmed, TBA, South Africa
MAR. 23-26: Jonsson Workwear Open, The Club at Steyn City, Johannesburg, South Africa
MAR. 22-26: WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play, Austin CC, Austin, TX, USA
MAR. 30-APRIL 2: NO EVENT
APRIL 6 – 9: The Masters, Augusta National GC, Augusta, GA, USA
APRIL 13-16: NO EVENT
APRIL 20-23: ISPS HANDA CHAMPIONSHIP PGM Ishioka GC, Omitama, Japan
APRIL 27-30: Korean Event Confirmed, TBA, South Korea
MAY 4-7: Italian Open, Marco Simone GC, Rome, Italy
MAY 11-14: Soudal Open, Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
MAY 18-21: U.S. PGA Championship, Oak Hill CC, Rochester, NY, USA
MAY 25-28: Dutch Open, Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, The Netherlands
JUNE 1-4: Porsche European Open, Green Eagle Golf Courses, Hamburg, Germany
JUNE 8-11: Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, Ullna G&CC, Stockholm, Sweden
JUNE 15-18: U.S. Open, Los Angeles CC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
JUNE 22-25: BMW International Open Golfclub München Eichenried, Munich, Germany
JUNE 29-JULY 2: Betfred British Masters, The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England
JULY 6-9: Made in HimmerLand, HimmerLand, Farsoe, Denmark
JULY 13-16: Genesis Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
JULY 13-16: Barbasol Championship, Keene Trace GC, Nicholasville, KY, USA
JULY 20-23: The 151st Open Championship, Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, England
JULY 20-23: Barracuda Championship, Tahoe Mt. Club, Truckee, CA, USA
THREE-WEEK SUMMER BREAK
AUG. 17-20: ISPS Handa World Invitational offered by AVIV Clinics, Galgorm Castle & TBC, Co Antrim, N. Ireland
AUG. 24-27: D+D Real Czech Masters, Albatross Golf Resort, Prague, Czech Republic
AUG. 31-SEPT. 3: Omega European Masters, Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland
SEPT. 7-10: Horizon Irish Open, The Ok Club, Staffan, Kildare, Ireland
SEPT. 14-17: BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England
SEPT. 21-24: Cazoo Open de France, Le Golf National, Paris, France
SEPT 29-OCT. 1: The Ryder Cup, Marco Simone GC, Rome, Italy
OCT. 5-8: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns, Scotland
OCT. 12 – 15: acciona Open de España offered by Madrid, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
OCT. 19-22: TBC
OCT. 26-29: TBC
NOV. 2-5: TBC
NOV. 9-12: Nedbank Golf Challenge, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa
NOV. 16-19: DP World Tour Championship, Dubai Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth Course, Dubai, UAE
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