Are there more golf fans in Europe or the United States? Those who have spent significant time watching the Ryder Cup are well aware of how much aggressive passion exists on both sides of the Pond, but one look at the financial situations of the two largest tours paints a very different picture. The average player on the PGA Tour in the United States earns almost four times more than the average player on the European Tour, which has led many of the biggest talents from Ireland to Spain to England to head over to the States. In addition, it’s also opened an opportunity for someone to come in and alter the way the European Tour is being run in an effort to increase profits, and if the latest rumors are to be believed, the PGA Tour may be interested in seizing that opportunity.
According to ESPN, a spokesman for the PGA Tour is refusing to comment on the speculation, but sources in England are saying preliminary discussions have begun. Considering many players on the European tour play at least a few events every year in the United States, such a takeover would likely cause very few waves among the competitors. In fact, many would actually welcome such a move with open arms. Here’s what professional golfer Paul Casey told The Daily Mail…
I agree with those people who think we have an unbelievable product, but we are so far from maximising it. We have to freshen things up. It really frustrates me. Look at the fact we’ve just announced on our website we’ve appointed a global search firm to find a new chairman, when the last one, Neil Coles, retired in May. Why on earth would that simple step take three months?
On the surface, taking a little extra time to find a new chairman might not seem like a big deal, but if you think about it, the delay really works as a nice microcosm to explain why the European Tour doesn’t make nearly as much money. It’s just disorganized. There are numerous weeks in which tournaments aren’t even scheduled. On the contrary, every single week on the PGA Tour is rigorously planned more than a year in advance. Every single event has a title sponsor, and every single event is marketed in local areas months in advance. No potential revenue stream ever remains unexplored.
Sure, there might be a slight disparity in terms of the number of high end players on the PGA Tour vs the European Tour, but I guarantee a very high percentage of the world’s best would more evenly split their time if all things were equal. A potential partnership with the PGA Tour would hypothetically allow guys like Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlory to pick out random events they might be interested in playing on different tours with far more ease.
We’ll keep you updated on the developments as they come.
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