Share

New golf league gets interest from PGA players: reports

Los Angeles - Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson is among PGA Tour players "intrigued" by a proposed new tour, the Premier Golf League, according to reports.

A report by Golf Channel analyst Geoff Shackelford detailed plans for the series, with Mickelson telling ESPN of his interest after missing the cut at Torrey Pines on Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open.

"I'm curious, but I don't know enough to talk about it," the 49-year-old said. "I'm listening to it. I think it's intriguing, but I just don't know enough about it to comment publicly. I hope to learn more."

The Premier Golf League was a hot topic at a players meeting this week at San Diego which PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan attended, ESPN reported.

Mark Steinberg, who serves as the agent for Tiger Woods and several other golfers, noted how the idea of a new tour for elite players has been raised before.

"It's obviously resurfacing right now," he told ESPN. "We'll see if they take it to the next level."

The idea of a top-level golf series was pushed a quarter-century ago by Australian star Greg Norman but opposed by PGA officials and the concept helped guide the creation of the World Golf Championships, within the existing tours.

A statement from the Premier Golf League said it intends to cooperate with existing circuits such as the European Tour and PGA Tour even as it builds its own series running from January through August.

"It is our intention to work with, rather than challenge, existing tours for the betterment of golf as a sport, pastime and media property," the statement said. "We appreciate the interest and look forward to providing everyone with further details."

The World Golf Group plans feature a January 2022 launch with individual and team league formats for 48 of golf's best players competing for themselves and on 12 four-person teams in 18 events, 10 of them staged on US soil.

Each event would have 54 holes with shotgun starts the first two days and two tees on the final day to help fit play into a five-hour span.

The series says it would offer $240 million in prize money with individual winners taking $2 million from a $10 million purse in each event as well as team prize money.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE