Tag: Keith Pelley

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European Tour

Guy Kinnings Takes Over as European Tour Group CEO

Guy Kinnings takes over as European Tour Group CEO. (Photo: Getty)
Guy Kinnings takes over as European Tour Group CEO. (Photo: Getty)

Guy Kinnings officially begins his new role as the European Tour Group’s Chief Executive Officer today, Tuesday April 2, 2024. 

Kinnings, who succeeds Keith Pelley, has been the European Tour Group’s Deputy CEO, Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Director – Ryder Cup since 2018, and now becomes only the fifth person in the CEO position since the Tour was established in 1972. 

Guy Kinnings: “A shift in our sport to a more global mindset”

He said: “Today is a very proud day for me and my family. It is a real privilege to become the Chief Executive of the European Tour Group and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly. 

“Our Tour has such a wonderful history, and I am delighted to have this opportunity to help shape the next exciting phase in its evolution. 

“I have been working closely with our players, our Board, our partners and our staff over the past six years and I feel we have a great opportunity to look forward and to focus on unity and alignment in the game. There has been a shift in our sport to a more global mindset and that is something, as golf’s global Tour, that we welcome. 

“We have a widely recognised international footprint, stemming from 50 years of building relationships and staging tournaments in many different countries and continents and this allows us to appeal to golf fans from a wide variety of different backgrounds and demographics. We very much look forward to continuing that.”

Eric Nicoli, Chairman of the European Tour Group, said: “This is a hugely significant day for the European Tour Group as a whole and on behalf of the entire Board, I am delighted to welcome Guy to the role of CEO.

“He is vastly experienced, is hugely respected throughout the golf industry and has strong relationships right across our sport. Our deliberate and purposeful succession planning will ensure a seamless transition in our leadership at this pivotal time in the evolution of the men’s professional game.

“We are looking forward to working closely with Guy to take advantage of the opportunities that await us, and to take our Tour to even greater heights on behalf of the entirety of our membership.”

Ryder Cup and Strategic Alliance as previous accomplishments

Kinnings has been an influential figure in golf for more than three decades. A law graduate from University of Oxford, he left Freshfields law firm to join IMG’s legal team in London in 1989 and moved to its golf division in 1991 where he worked with some of the world’s leading players in the professional game. 

He went on to become IMG’s Senior International Vice President and Global Head of Golf, leading the company’s worldwide golf business comprising both clients and events, as well as managing its key relationships with all governing bodies and brands involved with the sport. 

He joined the European Tour Group prior to the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in France and as Executive Director – Ryder Cup, he has overseen the growth of the biennial contest’s Worldwide Partner programme. 

Kinnings also had overall responsibility for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome – the most successful edition to be staged in Europe – as Luke Donald’s European Team defeated the United States 16½-11½ at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. 

As Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Commercial Officer, he also oversaw the growth of the Tour’s commercial operation.  

Alongside the Board and the Executive Leadership Team, he helped to secure the Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR in 2020 which has helped grow the DP World Tour prize funds to record levels. He was also central to the ground-breaking agreement for DP World to become the title partner of the main Tour at the start of the 2022 season.  

Kinnings becomes the fifth Chief Executive of the European Tour Group, following John Jacobs (1972-1975), Ken Schofield (1975 – 2004), George O’Grady (2005-2015) and Keith Pelley (2015-2024).

(Text: European Tour Group)

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European Tour

Regarding LIV Golf Events: European Tour sends out warning to players

Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour, warns his players. (Photo: Getty)
Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour, warns his players. (Photo: Getty)

In a memo to players on the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour), Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour Group, has issued a strong warning against defection to the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series, reports the GolfChannel. The memo was about the “release protocols” as some players want to attend the tournaments initiated by Greg Norman and financed by Saudi Arabian money.

European Tour: Urgent appeal from the boss

Conflicting events, regardless of how attractive they might appear to you personally, potentially compromise our efforts in these areas and could significantly hurt your tour in both the short and long term,” Pelley wrote. “Please continue to bear this bigger picture in mind.” In addition, Pelley explained that some of the tournaments in the LIV Golf Invitational Series would be held at the same time as heritage events, including the Irish Open, Italian Open and Open de Espana.

In his memo, Keith Pelley also refuted rumours that they had turned down a multi-million dollar Golf Saudi investment. “Although we had discussions with Golf Saudi about extending our relationship beyond the Saudi International tournament, we never received a formal written offer from them,” GolfChannel quoted from the memo. However, the European Tour (now DP World Tour) had received an offer from Raine Capital in 2020, who were linked to a Premier League Golf at the time.

LIV Golf Invitational Series by Greg Norman

The LIV Golf Invitational Series is now being funded by the Saudi Arabian Private Investment Fund (PIF) and is tempting with huge prize money. Earlier this week, it was announced that a first professional from the PGA Tour and further professionals from the DP World Tour have asked for permission to participate in the inaugural event (09-11 June in London) of the tournament series launched by Greg Norman.

Now the head of the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) warned his players against a defection and appealed for loyalty to the tour. The PGA Tour had also threatened to exclude its players from the Majors and Ryder Cup when the rumours of a new Saudi League first emerged and urged its stars to stay on the PGA Tour with pledges of loyalty and new sources of income, such as the Players Impact Program.

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European Tour

Ras Al Khaimah Team Challenge to debut on the DP World Tour

Al Hamra Golf Club will host the DP World Tour event. (Photo: Getty)
Al Hamra Golf Club will host the DP World Tour event. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour’s commitment to innovation in the game of golf will be apparent once again next month when a new special event – the Ras Al Khaimah Team Challenge – takes to the fairways.

26 teams compete in scramble format

The one-day exhibition event will be played on Tuesday February 8 at Al Hamra Golf Club, in between the two tournaments already scheduled at the UAE venue; the Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital (February 3-6) and the Ras Al Khaimah Classic (February 10-13).
 
The event will be shown live in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports – who on Monday announced a two-year extension to their current agreement with the DP World Tour – and around the globe via the Tour’s expansive World Feed network. It will also feature across the Tour’s digital platforms.
 
The Ras Al Khaimah Team Challenge will feature 26 teams of two professionals per team in a stroke play event playing over nine holes in a classic Scramble format; ie: each team selecting the best drive and both players playing from there, then selecting the best second shot and both players playing from there until the hole is completed.

Keith Pelley expects a successful debut

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “As well as celebrating the tradition of 72 hole tournaments within golf’s current ecosystem, we are always looking to do something different to continue to broaden golf’s appeal to fans around the world, and the fun exhibition that is the Ras al Khaimah Team Challenge will do just that. Most people who play golf will have played the Scramble format with their friends at their local clubs at some point, and I’m sure they will be intrigued to tune in to see how our professionals cope with this different and unique challenge.”
 
Following last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, the DP World Tour this week moves to neighbouring Dubai for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, the second consecutive $8 million Rolex Series event to start the 2022 calendar year.

(Text: DP World Tour)

Categories
European Tour

New ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP becomes first DP World Tour Event in Japan

The ISPS HANDA - Championship is going to be on the PGM Ishioka Golf Club. (Photo: DP World Tour)

The tournament – which will be played at PGM Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama from April 21-24, 2022 – will be the first regular tournament in history to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. Previously, the only event on Japanese soil to feature on the DP World Tour schedule was the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama last summer.

The vision of the ISPS HANDA-Championship

The 2022 ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP will have a US$2 million prize fund and is the first event in a three-year agreement. It also deepens the European Tour group’s long-standing relationship with ISPS HANDA, the organisation founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in the belief that sport has the power to inspire, transform, and unite people and communities across social, racial and socio-economic barriers.

Keith Pelley, European Tour group Chief Executive, said: “The DP World Tour is a global tour and, as a result, we relish opportunities such as this to break new ground; in the process creating exciting golf tournaments for our fans worldwide and wonderful opportunities for our players and stakeholders alike. We recognise the continued vision and commitment of Dr Handa himself and thank everyone at ISPS HANDA for once again partnering with us, while we also welcome our new partners at the Japan Golf Tour. The ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia was the first ever tournament for men and women with an equal purse, a commitment to equality that we furthered with the ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Northern Ireland this year, which, co-sanctioned between the DP World Tour, LPGA, and Ladies European Tour, not only offered equal prize money to both men and women, but also hosted a disability golf tournament in tandem.”

Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA is proud and looking forward

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder and Chairman of ISPS HANDA, said: “ISPS HANDA is honoured and proud to be title sponsor of the first ever DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour co-sanctioned event, and my sincere thanks go to the CEO of the European Tour group, Keith Pelley, and his team, and also to Chairman Isao Aoki and his team at the JGTO. ISPS HANDA has deepened its partnership with many tours around the world, but our relationship with the DP World Tour has become special in that we share the passion of using the power of sport in pioneering many ground breaking initiatives. We are excited to bring this partnership now to Japan, where we feel that our shared goals and visions in the power of sport will make a difference in my own country and beyond.”

Isao Aoki sees a great opportunity for the Japanese golf

Isao Aoki, Chairman, Japan Golf Tour Organization, said: “I am very happy that we will be able to hold a co-sanctioned tournament with the DP World Tour in April 2022, which was our long-cherished desire, and we can’t wait to hold it from now on. I am deeply grateful to the International Sports Promotion Society for their full support of the tournament. This is the first time a tournament which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour has been held on Japanese soil, which the JGTO, all of our stakeholders, and golf fans in Japan have been waiting for. I am sure that the skill of the players who compete on the DP World Tour will not only attract Japanese golf fans but also stimulate the members of the Japan Golf Tour. On the other hand, the members of the Japan Golf Tour will have a great opportunity to perform in front of the world with this tournament as a foothold, and I’m sure our members will take advantage of this opportunity as much as possible. We are making various preparations for this great event in six months – please stay tuned.”

(Text: DP World Tour)