It’s all about the dollar bills, these days. Well… Maybe not all. But the focus of any championship does fall on the kind of benefits that they provide, including the prize money. And when it comes to the same, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf do top the list with the immense purses it boasts. However, amidst all this, the DP World Tour seems to be the odd one out. Cue the entry of the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and its rewards into the picture. Quite a limbo it has found itself in if you think about it.
The upcoming Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour boasts a prize purse of €5 million ($5,569,789.46). This, as per the official records of the tournament, has been a constant figure since its 2006 edition which saw Padraig Harrington emerge victorious. The consistency of the same does draw a troublesome picture for the DP World Tour if put in parallel with the other two circuits.
via Reuters
Golf – European Tour – BMW PGA Championship – Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, Britain – September 9, 2021 Ireland’s Padraig Harrington during the first round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
The Jay Monahan-led Tour, on the other hand, has seen an immense increase in prize purses. They did so by introducing eight limited field events (a.k.a signature events) with increased money and points. Three of the tournaments (Read: player-hosted Signature Events) boast a $4 million winner’s cut from the pool while the rest award an enticing 18% of the pool.
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Who do you think is more to blame for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship controversy?
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Maybe, let’s wait and see
It won’t make a difference
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Who do you think will dominate the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship?
As all of this takes place, you can’t deny the effect that the inception of the Saudi-backed league had on the PGA Tour. Each tournament on the Greg Norman-led circuit boasts a whopping $25 million in prize money except for the last two events. LIV Golf Chicago had an additional figure of $18 million in bonus rewards to the winner, in addition to the cut from the usual prize pool. As for the Dallas tourney, a total of $50 million was the pool that was set aside. That’s quite a bit of a sum, frankly speaking (writing) when compared to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship’s €5 million.
If you are a fan of the sport, you would pretty much know that there’s more to the dollar bills story. The PGA Tour had joined hands with the Strategic Sports Group earlier this year, all the while investing a lot of money into the sport, or more specifically, the Monahan-led circuit.
The $3 billion PGA Tour-Fenway Group deal
Back in January, the PGA Tour signed a deal with SSG, the latter of whom agreed to invest $3 billion into the sport on a $12 billion valuation. That’s not all. The golfers on the men’s circuit will also be rewarded for their loyalty, with the Fenway Group-led body providing the players with as much as $900 million in equity shares. But do note that the amount will be awarded to 180 athletes with the higher ranks receiving more from the same.
All of this has surely put a strain on the DP World Tour and its events, especially the upcoming Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. But just like President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” And steal, it will, if the European circuit does not come up with proper measures to turn their situation around, unfortunately so!
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