Category: Top Tours

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European Tour Ladies European Tour

Golf Boom: Rising ticket sales for professional tournaments

Biggest tournaments in Great Britain and Ireland in 2023 have seen strong increases in ticket sales and spectator numbers compared to pre-pandemic levels (Source: DP World Tour)
Biggest tournaments in Great Britain and Ireland in 2023 have seen strong increases in ticket sales and spectator numbers compared to pre-pandemic levels (Source: DP World Tour)

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, golf has experienced a surge in popularity, attracting an increasing number of enthusiasts. This trend seems to extend its positive influence to professional golf as well. According to a report from the DP World Tour, R&A, and Ladies European Tour, major golf tournaments in the UK and Ireland in 2023 have witnessed a significant boost in popularity, marked by increased ticket sales and higher attendance numbers.

DP World Tour with 43 percent higher income from ticket sales

The report focuses on the most prominent golf tournaments in the UK and Ireland, highlighting the DP World Tour’s remarkable achievement. In 2023, the DP World Tour managed to increase its revenue from ticket sales by an impressive 43%, compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Notably, the four major tournaments (excluding Majors) showed substantial increases. The BMW PGA Championship saw a 41% rise in revenue compared to 2019, while the Genesis Scottish Open more than doubled its ticket sales revenue. Overall attendance for the four events, including the BMW PGA Championship, Genesis Scottish Open, Horizon Irish Open, and Betfred British Masters, exhibited a slight upward trend, with nearly 300,000 attendees – around 30,000 more than the previous year. The Ladies European Tour also reported modest increases in audience numbers, with a 20% rise at the KPMG Irish Open in late August.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Golf is gaining popularity and attracting a more diverse audience. The numbers confirm this, and the biggest events of the DP World Tour in the UK and Ireland have never been more popular. We are witnessing a similar trend in our historic national Opens across Europe. The natural outdoor appeal of golf led people to try the sport at a record pace in 2020, and the DP World Tour is now reaping the benefits. Golfers of all ages want to witness the world’s best players showcasing their skills, and we are focused on ensuring that our audience experience meets their expectations.”

Record Year for the British Open

The pinnacle of golf in the UK, the British Open, also celebrated significant success. Since 2019, all tournament days have been sold out, and the 151st Open in 2023 recorded a 30% increase in attendance compared to the previous edition at Royal Liverpool in 2014. The growing popularity of the tournament led to the introduction of a ticket lottery in 2022 to accommodate the surging demand.

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Youngest talent since 2014

Oliver Betschart (center) qualifies for a PGA Tour event as a 15-year-old. (Source: Twitter / @Bermuda_Champ)
Oliver Betschart (center) qualifies for a PGA Tour event as a 15-year-old. (Source: Twitter / @Bermuda_Champ)

Golf prodigy Oliver Betschart will catch the attention of spectators and journalists in November. Betschart, who lives in Bermuda, qualified for the Bermuda Championship last week, making him one of three players to make it through qualifying.

Golf prodigy on the PGA Tour

Betschart already set a record a year ago when he became the youngest winner of the Port Royal Golf Club Championship. This year, he completed the 54-hole local qualifier with a score of 3-over par, with the win going to Eric West. Betschart will be the second 15-year-old to compete in the Bermuda event. Kenny Leseur already qualified for the championship in 2019. “This has been my goal all year,” Betschart, who shot a final round of 68 in challenging wind conditions, told The Royal Gazette. “And now it’s finally true and it’s hard to accept, but I’m really excited. … Last year I was up here working with the tournament staff and seeing all the work that goes into it, and I’m really happy to be a part of it this year. I was definitely nervous going into the home stretch, but then I hit a lot of good shots,” he added. Betschart missed qualifying for the tournament by one stroke last year, but put in a strong performance this time, playing a 68 before watching pro Chaka DeSilva narrowly miss tying with him with a birdie on 18. Betschart will be the youngest player to compete on Tour since 2014 and the fifth youngest since 2000, with only Michelle Wie (twice), Tianlang Guan (six times), Andy Zhang (2012 U.S. Open) and Lorens Chan (2009 Sony Open in Hawaii) younger. Only twice, however, did any of them survive a cut.

In case of a victory Betschart would follow in big footsteps. In 2013, a certain Jordan Spieth made history when he won for the first time on the PGA Tour. Spieth, however, was already 19 years old at the time. At the John Deere Classic, the current major champion beat his rivals David Hearn and Zach Johnson on the fifth playoff hole and became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since 1931, when Ralph Guldahl won the Santa Monica Open.

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European Tour PGA Tour

New Membership Opportunities outlined for PGA Tour Members on the DP World Tour

Since 2021, the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour have been in a Strategic Alliance. (Photo: Getty)
Since 2021, the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour have been in a Strategic Alliance. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour today announces new membership opportunities for PGA TOUR members in its 2024 season, a further illustration of the strength of the relationship between the two Tours through the existing Strategic Alliance.

DP World Tour 2024: Two new memberships

The opportunities fall into two categories: (i) Full membership of the DP World Tour available for players who finish in positions 126 to 200 on the 2022-2023 FedExCup Fall Points List; or (ii) Affiliate Membership of the DP World Tour available to any other PGA TOUR Member when participating in any Race to Dubai ranking tournament in the 2024 season. Affiliate Members and Non-Members will now automatically appear on a new ‘Non-Member Race to Dubai Points List’ following the first tournament where they earn points.

This list will see players accrue Race to Dubai Points and, based on their points, can see them potentially qualify for (a) the DP World Tour play-offs in 2024 and (b) the season-ending Bonus Pool in 2024 if they have played four or more counting tournaments outside the Majors, in line with the current DP World Tour Member regulations.

Should they choose to additionally take up Affiliate Membership, this will give them the potential to earn full ranked membership of the DP World Tour in the following season if their final ranking qualifies them.

PGA TOUR Members who take up Full Membership (Option (i) above) will play from a newly created Category 12 in the 2024 DP World Tour Exemption Category list. Only five players from this category can play in a DP World Tour event in any given week.

To access this category, eligible players must join the DP World Tour as members by Wednesday, December 20, 2023, to compete in tournaments in the 2024 calendar year, but by Wednesday November 22, 2023, if they want to compete in any of the 2024 season tournaments scheduled for November or December 2023.

Consequence of the Strategic Alliance between DP World Tour and PGA Tour

These initiatives – which were discussed and ratified by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee – follow on from the one announced last year that will see the leading ten players on the 2023 Race to Dubai (not otherwise exempt) earn PGA TOUR cards for the 2024 season – these cards being ranked after the top 125 finishers on the 2022-2023 FedExCup Fall Points List.

David Howell, Chairman of the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee, said: “When we announced our Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR in November 2021, one of the prime objectives was to give as many opportunities as possible to members of both Tours, and this is another perfect example of how this is working.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “Our Ten Cards initiative will give the opportunity for DP World Tour members to excel on the PGA TOUR next season and this new membership opportunity announced today will give PGA TOUR members the chance to do exactly the same on our Tour. I am excited at the possibilities.”

(Text: European Tour Group Communications)

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European Tour PGA Tour

World Golf Ranking: Collin Morikawa approaches the Top 10

Collin Morikawa wins in Japan. (Photo: Getty)
Collin Morikawa wins in Japan. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick continue to hold their own in the top 10. There was no movement in the top 10 of the world ranking this week. In the latest World Golf Ranking, Rory McIlroy (NIR) seized the impressive second place, reinforcing his status as the highest-ranking British player. Right behind him, Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) is holding steady in the seventh position. Also Tyrrell Hatton keeps his rank: He is still on rank 12.

Click here for the full World Golf Ranking

Tommy Fleetwood loses a place due to Collin Morikawa’s rise and is now 15th. Meanwhile, Justin Rose, another British Ryder Cup player, makes up two places and climbs to 37th.

Top Three of the World Golf Ranking

At the top, the players in the top 3 continue to consolidate their positions. Scottie Scheffler remains the undisputed number 1, Rory McIlroy stays on their heels and Jon Rahm rounds off the trio.

A look at the other ranks shows: Norwegian Viktor Hovland is still in fourth place, followed by Americans Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in fifth and sixth. After Englishman Fitzpatrick in 7th place, the three Americans Max Homa, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark occupy the last three places in the top 10.

(This article was written with the help of AI)

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European Tour Live PGA Tour

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy Hunting For Number 1

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy und Jon Rahm hunt for the worlds lead (Foto: Getty)
World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy und Jon Rahm hunt for the number one spot. (Foto: Getty)

English Charge in the World Golf Ranking

There is only slight movement in the World Golf Ranking for British players. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is holding firm at seventh for the second consecutive week, demonstrating consistent top-level performance. Tyrrell Hatton, also from England, falls one position to 12th. Slightly further down the rankings, Tommy Fleetwood has dropped one spot to rank 14th.

Check out the entire World Golf Ranking here

Shuffling Order for the Brits Beyond the top 10

British representation continues in the World Golf Ranking with Justin Rose of England sliding three positions to 39th. Scotsman Robert MacIntyre sits in 56th spot. He’s followed by Aaron Rai and Jordan Smith. Completing the best-performing British professionals this week is Matt Wallace, who has made an eight-position surge to reach 89th position.

Review of the worlds top 3

Examining the top of the World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler of the United States remains in pole position, echoing his firm hold on the top spot these last few months. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy follows him at second place, with Jon Rahm of Spain close behind at third.

No movement in the top 10 of the world

The middle and tail end of the top ten in the world see an unchanging continuity of strong performances. Norway’s Viktor Hovland, USA’s Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are steadfast at positions four to six, respectively. Max Homa, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark, all from the United States, have also managed to maintain their ranks at positions eight to ten.

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European Tour

DP World Tour: Prize Money payout at the BMW PGA Championship

Prize money at the DP World Tour's BMW PGA Championship 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Prize money at the DP World Tour's BMW PGA Championship 2023. (Photo: Getty)

The BMW PGA Championship, which is not only part of the Rolex Series but is also considered the flagship event of the DP World Tour, will pay out a total of $9 million in prize money. The tournament takes place at Wentworth, the home of the European Tour. 79 players made it into the weekend, and the prize money will be split among those players. The winner will receive 1.5 million dollar.

DP World Tour: Prize money at the BMW PGA Championship

Platz Preisgeld (in Dollar)
1 1530000.00
2 990000.00
3 567000.00
4 450000.00
5 381600.00
6 315000.00
7 270000.00
8 225000.00
9 201600.00
10 180000.00
11 165600.00
12 154800.00
13 144900.00
14 137700.00
15 132300.00
16 126900.00
17 121500.00
18 116100.00
19 111600.00
20 108000.00
21 104400.00
22 101700.00
23 99000.00
24 96300.00
25 93600.00
26 90900.00
27 88200.00
28 85500.00
29 82800.00
30 80100.00
31 77400.00
32 74700.00
33 72000.00
34 69300.00
35 66600.00
36 63900.00
37 62100.00
38 60300.00
39 58500.00
40 56700.00
41 54900.00
42 53100.00
43 51300.00
44 49500.00
45 47700.00
46 45900.00
47 44100.00
48 42300.00
49 40500.00
50 38700.00
51 36900.00
52 35100.00
53 33300.00
54 31500.00
55 30600.00
56 29700.00
57 28800.00
58 27900.00
59 27000.00
60 26100.00
61 25200.00
62 24300.00
63 23400.00
64 22500.00
65 21600.00
66 20700.00
67 19800.00
68 18900.00
69 18000.00
70 17100.00
71 13500.00
72 13496.80
73 13493.61
74 13490.41
75 13487.21
76 13484.02
77 13480.82
78 13477.62
79 13474.43
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European Tour

DP World Tour: Harrington and Lowry delighted to be back on home soil

Padraig Harrinton and Shane Lowry tee up at the DP World Tour's irish Open. (Photo: Getty)
Padraig Harrinton and Shane Lowry tee up at the DP World Tour's irish Open. (Photo: Getty)

Former champions Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry can’t wait to tee it up in front of the home crowds as they return to The K Club for the Horizon Irish Open on the DP World Tour.

Irish Open at the K Club

Harrington ended a more than 30 year wait for an Irish winner when he claimed the coveted title at Adare Manor in 2007, while Lowry made history two years later when he became the first amateur to win the event at County Louth.

Lowry arrives at The K Club buoyed by his recent selection as part of Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup team set to compete at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in three weeks’ time, with Harrington also in a rich vein of form after capturing his fifth title on PGA TOUR Champions three months ago.

The pair are part of a world class field teeing it up as the Horizon Irish Open returns to The K Club for the first time since 2016. The tournament will also be played at the County Kildare venue in 2025 and 2027, with 2027 marking the 100th anniversary of the first staging of the event.

Both players are committed to raising money for the tournament’s Official Charity Make-A-Wish Ireland, with each pledging to donate €500 for every birdie and €1,000 for every eagle they card during the week as part of the fundraising efforts.

DP World Tour Player Quotes

Pádraig Harrington: “This is very close to my home. I spent most of my summer practice down here, so very familiar.  This is very close to my home. This is where I do my practice when I’m at home. Love the fact that we’ll have the Irish fans out as I expect – not because of the weather, but because we haven’t had a got in this area for a while. The crowds are going to be big, enormous. The support is going to be brilliant. The weather is going to be great. All we really have to do as the Irish golfers is play a bit of good golf.

“For a tournament, there’s so many exciting shots on the course. You can remember Rory’s second into what we call the 16th of the championship course and the 18th, but the 16th is that one that was an incredible golf shot. There’s so many risk-reward, do-or-die shots out here. It’s a fabulous golf course to come and play, and I’ve got to say, the Smurfits were very good to me, and Michael Fetherston has carried that on. It’s unbelievable how welcome he makes the pros and the young players when they come down here and lets us have the run of the place.”

Shane Lowry: “I think it’s going to be an amazing week. Forecast is very good. Golf course is great.  We’ve got a great field here. It’s very exciting to be here. It’s always one of my favourite events to play, obviously, and with it being so close to home this year, as well, it’s extra special, so it’s nice.

“Obviously there are certain years where you get bad weather where people maybe don’t show up as much as you’d like, even though you get great crowds all the time, but I fully expect the crowds to be huge this week, and I think it’s going to be a great event.

“As I said to somebody earlier, it’s an amazing month to have ahead of you, to be honest. Obviously this week is our fifth major, and it really is – I do treat it like that, and then we have obviously I’m defending at Wentworth, which is one of my favourite events, next week, and then buildup for the Ryder Cup the week after that. Yeah, it’s kind of dream stuff and something that I’m looking forward to the challenge the next few weeks, and very excited for what it could bring.”

(Text by DP World Tour)

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PGA Tour

Tour Championship 2023: $75 million split between Hovland, Scheffler and Co.

The 2023 Tour Championship is luring golf's elite with a hefty prize purse. (Photo: Getty)
The 2023 Tour Championship is luring golf's elite with a hefty prize purse. (Photo: Getty)

Georgia opened its doors once again for the 2023 Tour Championship. Payday on the PGA Tour. The final tournament of the FedEx Cup 2023 offered prize money that set its own standards. Almost 20 million US dollars awaited the winner at East Lake Golf Club. But it wasn’t just Viktor Hovland, who won the tournament by five strokes, who cleaned up well, because an entire season came to a spectacular end here. Last year, Rory McIlroy rallied from a six-stroke deficit at the start of the week and a five-stroke deficit at the start of the final day to defeat Scheffler by one stroke and claim the prize money. The size of this prize pool is spectacular: for the enormous sum is as large as the combined salaries of the U.S. Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the British Open.

As play heads into the final stretch this weekend in Atlanta, the payout of the $75 million FedEx Cup bonus pool that players receive for their finishes in the season-long points race is drawing ever closer. As with regular PGA Tour events, the money will be split equally among players if there is a tie in the standings in this final event of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. So each of the top 150 players in the FedEx Cup rankings will receive something from the bonus pool.

Tour Championship: $75 million to be distributed

Scottie Scheffler will not have forgotten last year and so the world number 1 went into the FedExCup final with extra motivation. He started the tournament at -10 ahead of Viktor Hovland (-8) and Rory McIlroy (-7), while Sepp Straka had a more difficult time in 30th place and started at even par. This put Scheffler in pole position for the event at the Tour Championship. However, the American was unable to maintain this position, playing only one round under par and thus relinquishing the leading position to Viktor Hovland, who did not rest on his starting capital, the eight strokes under par and increased to 7-under par. The young Norwegian thus secured the astronomical prize money of 18 million dollars for the victory.

Places 150 to 125 will receive 85,000 dollars, after which the prize money will increase continuously. From 50th place onwards, the prize money is around 200,000 dollars. However, over half a million dollars was waiting for the top 30 at the Tour Championship. Straka and Co. are therefore already guaranteed the 500 000 dollars after the Tour Championship. The mark of 1,000,000 dollars will be cracked from 10th place in the ranking. In 5th place, there are already 3 million dollars waiting. This is followed by 4th place with 4 million dollars, 3rd place with 5 million and the runner-up with 6.5 million dollars. But as if that wasn’t enough, first place will receive almost triple that amount and can look forward to a whole 18,000,000 dollars. A list of the prize money probably makes some amateur golfers jealous.

Tour Championship 2023: The prize money at a glance

Rank Prizemoney Player
1 $18,000,000 Viktor Hovland
2 $6,500,000 Xander Schauffele
3 $5,000,000 Wyndham Clark
4 $4,000,000 Rory McIlroy
5 $3,000,000 Patrick Cantlay
T6 $2,000,000 Collin Morikawa
T6 $2,000,000 Tommy Fleetwood
T6 $2,000,000 Scottie Scheffler
T9 $990,000 Adam Schenk
T9 $990,000 Keegan Bradley
T9 $990,000 Max Homa
T9 $990,000 Matt Fitzpatrick
T9 $990,000 Sam Burns
T14 $780,000 Russell Henley
T14 $780,000 Sepp Straka
T16 $710,000 Rickie Fowler
T16 $710,000 Tyrrell Hatton
T18 $670,000 Lucas Glover
T18 $670,000 Jon Rahm
T20 $620,000 Tony Finau
T20 $620,000 Tom Kim
T20 $620,000 Si Woo Kim
23 $580,000 Brian Harman
24 $565,000 Sungjae Im
25 $550,000 Nick Taylor
26 $540,000 Correy Conners
27 $530,000 Jordan Spieth
28 $520,000 Jason Day
T29 $505,000 Taylor Moore
T29 $505,000 Emiliano Grillo

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Top Tours

British Open 2023 target of climate activists “Just Stop Oil

The British Open became a target for "Just Stop Oil" protests. (Photo: Getty)
The British Open became a target for "Just Stop Oil" protests. (Photo: Getty)

On the second day of the British Open 2023, despite efforts by the organizers, some climate activists from the protest group “Just Stop Oil” made it onto the grounds of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Using orange paint, the four individuals targeted the 17th green of the golf course.

British Open 2023: Billy Horschel helps police with “Just Stop Oil” protest

On the morning of the second round, the four activists from the climate group “Just Stop Oil”, who have already caused a stir at other sporting events such as Wimbledon, arrived on the grounds of the Open Championship. On the 17th green, one activist threw orange paint in the direction of the course. Shortly after, however, she was already taken into police custody with the help of Billy Horschel. His flight was about to putt on the short par 3 during the action.

After the incident, the R&A released a brief statement on the incident. “A protester was quickly apprehended on the 17th hole and is one of 4 people who have been arrested by the police. Play was not disrupted and we would like to thank the marshals, players and other spectators for their vigilance and understanding as the protestors were removed.”

R&A and police already prepared for protest actions

Police have already been working in advance with the organizing R&A on plans for incidents of this nature to minimize disruption to match operations, visitors and local residents. “The public should be prepared for the police to maintain a high presence throughout the event as we complement and support other security agencies. There are a number of plans and processes in place to deal with any incidents and prevent significant or ongoing disruption to spectators, residents and businesses,” said local police Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins.

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Top Tours

Open Championship 2023: Who will defy the weather?

The 151st edition of the British Open: the weather forecast (foto: getty)

The British Open is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in the world. It will be held this year at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course. The weather conditions on the rugged coast of Great Britain will in itself have a major impact on the tournament, but rain or storms can make the already demanding links course even more challenging for the professionals.

Weather forecast for the Open Championship 2023

The golf course has been through almost every weather condition in the past week. There have been thunderstorms, heavy rains, lots of wind and even the sun has made an appearance once. At least the start of the tournament is supposed to stay mostly dry.

Thursday, 20.07.

The tournament will start with a mostly sunny day and possible small showers.

Friday, 21.07.

On the day of the decision, who will be allowed to continue the weekend, it will be very cloudy with again small rainfalls.

Saturday, 22.07.

In the night from Friday to Saturday there may be heavier rain. On Moving Day, rain is expected to be almost continuous, easing during the day.

Sunday, 23.07.

On the final day, light showers are expected again and there may even be thunderstorms. On the other hand, the wind will drop a bit.

Can we rely on the forecast?

No. Especially in Great Britain, the weather is very erratic and can change every minute. Even professional golfers like Jon Rahm, don’t pay very much attention to the forecast. “We’re in England. We’re right next to the Channel, too. I don’t really look at the forecast because it changes so quickly. I hope we still see certain weather conditions because it’s the Open. There will always be wind. Hopefully the rain will stay away, but there will always be a period that favors some more than others. It doesn’t look like it’s going to play extremely fast or extremely firm because the rain and some of the humidity should stay, but you never know. I think it will play similar to 2014.”

Impact of weather conditions on the tournament and players


The weather in Liverpool can play a crucial role during The Open Championship. Rain can soften the ground on links golf courses and affect ball roll speed. The strong and unpredictable wind can affect the trajectory of the balls and pose tactical challenges to the golfers. Players will need to adapt to the changes and adjust their shots accordingly to be successful.

The 2023 Open Championship promises to be a compelling tournament on the links course near Liverpool. Weather conditions could play an important role and increase the challenges for the players. With the right preparations, golfers can bring out the best in each other. It is sure to be a tournament full of excitement, skill and fascinating moments as the best golfers in the world compete for the coveted title.