Asian Tour, DP World Tour, and PGA TOUR announce multi-year partnership
The Asian Tour, DP World Tour, and PGA TOUR have announced a new multi-year partnership that will extend through at least 2029. This agreement, effective immediately, aims to create new commercial and playing opportunities within global golf, building on the existing Strategic Alliance between the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour.
As part of this collaboration, the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour will work with the Asian Tour to establish pathways for its leading members. These opportunities, including playing rights, are set to begin with the 2027 DP World Tour season. Top-performing players from the Asian Tour will gain access to either the DP World Tour or the HotelPlanner Tour, with further details expected to be announced in the fall.
Renewed Collaboration and Player Pathways
The partnership also signifies the return of co-sanctioned tournaments between the DP World Tour and the Asian Tour, starting in 2027. The full schedule for these events will be revealed later this year when the DP World Tour announces its next season’s calendar. This re-establishes a historical connection, as the DP World Tour and Asian Tour previously maintained a Strategic Alliance from 2016 to 2021, which formalized a relationship that began in February 1999 with the Malaysian Open.
Christian Hardy, PGA TOUR senior vice president of international, stated that the agreement exemplifies what can be achieved when organizations share a vision for the future of professional golf. He added that the inclusion of the Asian Tour into their existing Strategic Alliance with the DP World Tour aims to foster a more connected global golf ecosystem. This effort is designed to create new opportunities for players, enhance significant National Opens globally, and strengthen pathways for identifying and developing elite talent.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour, expressed that the timing is appropriate for collaboration with the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR to benefit Asian Tour members, fans, and partners. He noted that uniting the three tours under one partnership will expand the reach of professional golf in Asia. The co-sanctioning of events will allow Asian Tour members to compete on a global stage, while also welcoming players from the other tours to participate in key Asian Tour events.
Impact on Global Golf Landscape
Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament and Operations Officer for the DP World Tour, highlighted the pleasure of rekindling the historic relationship with the Asian Tour and strengthening it with the addition of the PGA TOUR. He emphasized that the formal pathways established by this partnership will provide significant international opportunities for Asian Tour members, representing a positive step for golf in Asia and a new era of global collaboration.
The agreement between the three tours is seen as a proactive move by the PGA TOUR to shape the future of professional golf and continue the evolution of its Strategic Alliance. The collaboration aims to expand international opportunities for PGA TOUR players, who have reportedly expressed enthusiasm for the deal. This partnership also includes provisions for Asian Tour Order of Merit cards to be awarded for both the DP World Tour and Europe’s secondary Hotel Planner Tour. Players who advance on the DP World Tour can then compete for one of the 10 PGA TOUR cards annually through the Strategic Alliance.
The announcement of this partnership comes after the Asian Tour had a previous alliance with LIV Golf, which involved a reported $300 million investment to create the International Series. However, that five-year alliance has concluded. Cho Minn Thant clarified that while the partnership with LIV Golf was suitable six years ago, current circumstances led them to explore other options. The decision to partner with the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR was reportedly made during the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
This new agreement signifies a significant development in the structure of professional golf, reinforcing existing alliances and creating new avenues for player progression. The details regarding the access for Asian Tour players to the DP World Tour or HotelPlanner Tour are expected to be finalized in the fall.
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Source: pgatour.com
