European Tour opposes renewed Premier Golf League proposals

The European Tour is opposing in “the strongest possible terms” renewed plans for a breakaway Premier Golf League.

World number one Dustin Johnson and England’s Justin Rose are among players to have been offered lucrative deals by Saudi Arabian investors to join the PGL, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The PGL proposed last January that 48 players would compete in an 18-event season offering a prize fund of £183m.

Rory McIlroy, who was world number one at that time, ruled himself out.

Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, then ranked two and three in the world, also said they would not play in the proposed league.

In November, the European Tour and PGA Tour agreed a “strategic alliance”, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan also taking a seat on the European Tour’s board.

In a statement on Wednesday, European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “We are aligned with the PGA Tour in opposing, in the strongest possible terms, any proposal for an alternative golf league.

“Since the launch of our strategic alliance last November, our two organisations have been working together to make global golf less fractured and not create further division, with the interests of all players and fans at the forefront of our thinking.”

Former US Open champion Webb Simpson believes the new proposal is “far fetched”. – reuters.com