E67: The future of golf’s pro tours

We talk to Chubby Chandler and Nathan Homer about the big business questions facing the professional golf tours in Europe and America. It’s a conversation that needs a bit of context, for listeners who haven’t been following what’s been happening in the golf business over the last month or so. First, there’s the obvious theme of how the four major championships and the two big professional tours in Europe and America have responded to the COVID shutdown. There’s been a marked difference in tone and ambition on either side of the Atlantic. The three American based majors went early with new dates in late summer and Autumn, while The R&A has cancelled the 2020 Open Championship entirely. Similarly, Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour has been very quick to publish rescheduled event timetables, which seem to many observers to be on the ambitious side, while Keith Pelley head of the European Tour has been far more circumspect, sending out an email to its playing members warning of the profound effect of the shutdown on the golf economy. The story was broken by James Corrigan of the Daily Telegraph who obtained a copy of Pelley’s email and made it public, read James’ story here...

Pelley writes:“Our tour has enjoyed a significant period of growth in recent years, in terms of prize funds, playing opportunities and the overall standard of our events, as well as our broadcast product. The impact of the coronavirus has stopped this rapid momentum in its tracks, and it will, in fact, require us to reassess many elements. You should therefore be prepared that when we do resume playing, the schedule and the infrastructure of tournaments could look radically different from what you have been used to. Many of the things you have become accustomed to, such as top-class players’ lounges or courtesy car services will most likely assume a different appearance, if indeed they are present at all.Then it goes on to say "Prize funds will also most likely be different. … The reality is, the pandemic is going to have a profound impact on the tour financially, as well as many of our partners, both in sponsorship and broadcast areas.”Now, running in parallel to this story is the rumours of a breakaway Premier Golf League, funded by the Raine Group and investment from the Saudi sovereign fund.  In what seems like a lifetime ago now, Geoff Shackelford the blogger, podcaster and Golf Channel contributor broke the story and followed up with a lengthy Q&A with Andrew Gardiner, one of the key people behind the Premier League. I’ll put a l

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