European Tour Debuts Plans For New Rolex Series, Looking To Stop U.S. Talent Drain

The European PGA Tour yesterday said that it will "group at least seven of its marquee events together as the Rolex Series and will be scrapping the Final Series format" beginning next season, according to the AP. The BMW PGA Championship, the Irish Open, the Scottish Open and the Italian Open will "join the three Final Series events -- the Turkish Airlines Open, the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship -- as part of the new schedule." Each event will "have a prize purse of at least" $7M (all figures U.S.). European Tour CEO Keith Pelley said the $7M minimum "is the threshold that we felt that was needed to produce something of a high quality" for the series (AP, 11/15). In London, James Corrigan reports the European Tour is "set to announce the French Open as the eighth and last event" in the Rolex Series. The tour and its sponsors will make up the $12.4M "shortfall in funding for the BMW PGA Championship, Irish Open and Scottish Open to bring these events up" to the $7M mark. When Pelley was appointed to his role 18 months ago, he said that he "should be judged" on the '17 schedule. The creation of the Rolex Series is "his main play" (London TELEGRAPH, 11/16). Pelley said that part of the reason for the new series was to "stem the talent drain to the PGA Tour." Pelley: “We need a product that can grow and grow over time, that provides a strong financial offering for our young players so they don’t have to go to the United States." Rory McIlroy, who has membership on both tours, "feels the initiative may achieve that goal." He said, "One of the big consensuses is that it’s getting more and more difficult to play two tours. You’ve seen players that have tried it before and it doesn’t quite work" (GOLFWEEK.com, 11/15). 

TAKING THEIR SHOT: Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard notes the European Tour "going head to head with the PGA Tour week in and week out really wasn't an option simply because of how deep the purses are here in the United States." However, Pelley wanted to "focus on specific weeks where they’ve had success in the past, iconic venues." The tournaments that are part of the Rolex Series "are the type of places where you already get very good fields as far as head-to-head." Hoggard did not believe the Rolex Series would have that big of an impact on the PGA Tour events taking place at the same time, as they are "still going to have U.S.-based players that are going to take advantage of the opportunities." Hoggard: "You still get good name-recognition, good value, good field size. But you're not going to be able to compete against the European Tour because of what they have been able to do" ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 11/16).

CHEERS TO THAT: In Ireland, Philip Reid notes the Irish Open is now "firmly re-established as one of the blue chip tournaments on the schedule." Its move to a summer date "immediately before the Scottish Open and a fortnight before the British Open means it also occupies a key date in the calendar that will likely have the bonus of attracting a stronger field with many PGA Tour players expected to add" the tournament to their schedules. McIlroy's role with the event -- he "assumed the role of tournament host" in '15 -- "shouldn’t be underestimated" (IRISH TIMES, 11/16). 

HIGH STAKES: The GUARDIAN's Ewan Murray wrote the "simple element of Pelley’s job is also the most complex -- coaxing the sponsors he so desires to drive up tournament purses to the point where the PGA Tour is even partly challenged." Blue chip companies will "only invest with the knowledge top players will contest their events." Murray: "In this game of cat and mouse, Pelley’s reputation is on the line, not least because he took office with grand promises of increasing the attractiveness of the European Tour" (GUARDIAN, 11/9).