Partnership details announced
NEW details were released this week of the Strategic Alliance, a partnership between the US PGA Tour and European Tour.
The agreement, announced in November 2020, has been designed to enhance men’s professional golf through a number of key areas, including scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities for the players on both Tours.
In the details announced on europeantour.com there will be three tournaments co-sanctioned in 2022 and count on both the PGA Tour’s Fedex Cup and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai next season. These are the Barbasol Championship, Barracuda Championship and Genesis Scottish Open.
The Scottish Open has a new title sponsor in Genesis, the South
Korean automotive brand, who will now title sponsor two tournaments on the PGA Tour, with the Genesis Scottish Open joining the Genesis Invitational. The Genesis Invitational will again be played at the Riviera Country Club in California next year (Feb 14-20).
The Genesis Scottish Open (July 4-10), which is part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series, retains its place in the week ahead of the British Open (July 11-17), and has been confirmed through to 2025.
The player field for this tournament will be a split between members of both Tours. The tournament also benefits from the continued commitment of the Scottish Government.
Commenting on the developments, European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “We are delighted to welcome Genesis as a title sponsor of the event for the first time.
“Genesis has a strong history of sponsorship on the PGA Tour and their commitment to the Scottish Open will further enhance one of our premier events of the season.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said: “Adding an existing, strong title sponsor in Genesis to our Strategic Alliance in the form of the Genesis Scottish Open is a significant step for the global game. We’re incredibly proud to forge a deeper relationship with this premier brand across the global game.”
In addition to the Genesis Scottish Open being co-sanctioned, there will also be access for 50 European Tour members to each of two PGA Tour events in 2022 – the Barbasol Championship, which will be played concurrently with the Scottish Open, and the Barracuda Championship, which will be played alongside the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
It was also confirmed that as part of the Strategic Alliance, the
European Tour’s Irish Open will see a increase in prize money to Us$6mil, starting in 2022 – nearly double the amount of last month.
Monahan added: “With today’s news, I am pleased to say that the PGA Tour and the European Tour are both stronger than at any time in our history, as we are positioned to grow – together – over the next 10 years, faster than we have at any point.
“We are committed to continuing to evolve and adapt, and with our ever-strengthening partnership with the European Tour, to take the global game to the heights we all know it is capable of.”