On Thursday, Keith Pelley announced his resignation as chief executive of the DP World Tour to take up a new job in his hometown. Now, a day after this, Pelley affirmed that he will make sure that a deal among the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, and LIV Golf is reached by April i.e. before he steps down as he will be part of the ongoing negotiations.
Pelley had been on the tour since 2015 and contributed hugely to the progress of the circuit. He will be succeeded by Guy Kinnings. Recently, as Kelley spoke to the Telegraph during the Dubai Invitational, he affirmed that a deal was to be reached soon. What were his comforting statements? Here’s what he said.
Keith Pelley Affirms That the Framework Agreement Will Be Finalized By April
Pelley hopes that a decision regarding the framework agreement will be taken in the next few months.
“I am here for the next three months, and by then we hope to come to a conclusion, and I’ve told the PGA Tour and representatives from PIF that is my primary focus”
He added,
“I truly believe (a deal can be completed). I’ve believed it for a long time, and that is the reason that we entered the framework agreement—and we need to move forward.”
The merger signed in June had its completion pending and Keith hopes to reach that feat soon. Moreover, when it was primarily signed, it came as a shocker to the players but now the player directors are involved in the proceedings to avoid what happened in the past.
The framework agreement was given a date of December 31st to be finalized. But as per the current scenario, the date has been delayed. Pelley also revealed the reason why he’s not resigning readily.
“I said things would heat up after the Ryder Cup and they have.So yeah, I’m optimistic over the next couple of months. And that’s the primary reason I’m not leaving straight away.”
He spoke on behalf of the DP World Tour and said that the tour wants unification at this point.
Over the past few weeks, former LIV critics like Rory McIlroy have softened and they want the game to have structure. McIlroy also believes a single roster for events and team competitions can be included. But as far as 2024 is concerned, the schedules are out and cannot be altered. This means the for-profit entity might act in 2025. As of now, the top-tier golfers from all circuits can only come together in the majors.
Another aspect that remains pending is the financial sponsorship of the new entity. As of now, Strategic Sports Group has displayed interest in backing it. Also, with Jon Rahm moving to LIV Golf, chances are bleak for the PGA Tour to depend on the Saudi PIF for funding. Now, it is to see what the framework agreement holds for the future of the sport.
