Tour’s big money, sweeping changes

The PGA Tour made its boldest response yet to the rival Saudifunded league yesterday with a plan for the best players to commit to a 20-tournament schedule in which they will compete against one another up to 17 times for average purses of $20 million.

The tour also is doubling the bonus pool of its Player Impact Program to US$100 million spread across 20 players, and it’s changing the criteria, so it’s geared more towards media exposure.

Players starting out their careers will get $500,000 at the start of the year that will count against their earnings until the number is surpassed.

‘‘This isn’t some sort of renegade group trying to take some sort of power grab of the PGA Tour,’’ said Rory Mcilroy, a playerdirector on the tour board.

‘‘This is, ‘OK, how can we make this tour better for everyone that’s going to play on it now and everyone that’s going to play on the PGA Tour going forward’.’’

Of the sweeping changes PGA

Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan laid out, the most significant was what came out of a private meeting of 23 top players last week: a new model that assures the best play in the same tournaments more often.

‘‘Those players rallied together to strengthen the tour platform, recognising that if fans are going to invest in the PGA Tour, it means a hell of a lot more if they know the players are investing right back,’’ Monahan said.

The 20-tournament commitment starts in January with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua and assumes top players are eligible.

Most of the key tournaments already were in place – the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the Memorial; Kapalua and Match Play; the three Fedex Cup playoff events; the four majors and The Players Championship.

Still to be announced are four tournaments that Monahan said would be rotated among existing events during the Fedex Cup season – January to August – although the Scottish Open is under consideration for hosting a $20 million event.

Players also would be required to play three other tournaments during the Fedex Cup season. That would throw out a lifeline to tournaments that otherwise would have a hard time attracting top players.

But for the tour, it was a chance to all but guarantee when and where to find the best players.

Daniel Ricciardo is adamant his desire to prove himself as a Formula One force hasn’t been diminished by his ill-fated spell at Mclaren – and reckons the fire in his belly to succeed keeps on raging.

The Australian took to social media yesterday to admit he’s not sure about what the future will hold for him after he and his British-based team agreed to end their relationship a year early after his disappointing results.

But Ricciardo, whose reputation has taken a severe hit in his largely unsuccessful two-year spell at Mclaren, made a passionate declaration about his continuing love for the sport and his desire to get back among the driving elite.

‘‘I think for the future, what lies ahead, I am not sure yet . . . I am not sure yet. But we’ll see,’’ Ricciardo said, breaking the ‘‘bittersweet’’