The PGA Tour "flexed its muscles" toward its equivalent in Europe by opening a base in England, according to Ewan Murray of the London GUARDIAN. Although an announcement is not expected until mid-summer, the PGA’s London office is "already operational with its prime focus on media rights and tournament sponsorship." The implication is that the PGA Tour will seek to court sponsors that "might otherwise be attracted to European Tour events." Given the "fiscal power" the PGA Tour has already displayed -- this month’s Players Championship had a purse of $10.5M as the €500,000 ($554,300) Portugal Open was taking place -- this is an "intriguing business move." The sense golf is edging toward one global tour is "impossible to ignore," as is the fact the PGA Tour "clearly regards London as an important commercial hub." The European Tour "offered no comment on news that the PGA Tour," whose HQ is in Florida but which has offices in Beijing and Tokyo, has "taken on premises" in its backyard and is "believed to be relaxed about the situation." The European Tour has full-time staff in the U.S., for whom "permanent premises may be forthcoming" (GUARDIAN, 5/16).
