DP World Tour Eyes 2026 Schedule Changes Amidst Ongoing Merger Discussions

Guy Kinnings, who assumed the role of chief executive for the European-based DP World Tour in April, succeeding Keith Pelley, has expressed the Tour’s aspiration “to have a different schedule in 2026.” This statement follows the announcement of the 2025 calendar, which predominantly resembles the current season’s structure. However, Kinnings cautioned that patience remains crucial as key figures in golf endeavor to find a resolution to the ongoing “civil war” within men’s professional golf. The European-based DP World Tour and the PGA Tour in the United States are engaged in extensive discussions regarding a potential merger with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the entity behind the breakaway LIV Tour. A prospective agreement aimed at resolving the contentious division was initially revealed in June 2023. Speaking to BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter, Kinnings stated: “I understand that impatience and we have to be mindful of our fans, who have been brilliant,” adding, “Golf is in such good health but we have to work on this product. It is complicated, not as easy as everyone thinks.” He further elaborated, “There are transactional elements, scheduling elements, but all the parties you would want are engaged with right mindset and working towards it.” Kinnings concluded, “Everyone is mindful of how important it is to get it done.” For the 2025 season, DP World Tour players are set to compete for a record prize fund totaling £120m ($153m), a figure that does not include the prize money from the four major championships. Kinnings confirmed that at least 42 tournaments are planned across 26 distinct countries, marking the return of events such as the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Austrian Open, and Turkish Open. The 2025 schedule will retain the current season’s format, incorporating ‘global swings’, a ‘back nine’ that showcases the Tour’s most historic competitions, and two play-off tournaments to conclude the season. The five Rolex Series events, recognized as the Tour’s most prestigious and lucrative tournaments, will remain distributed across the calendar year. The series will commence with the Dubai Desert Classic in January, followed by the Scottish Open in July and the BMW PGA Championship in September. The Abu Dhabi Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai are scheduled for November. Kinnings remarked, “We all hope there may be a different schedule in 2026 but who knows what that might be,” adding, “We can only focus on what we can control and that is to make the 2025 schedule as good as it can be.” Last week, Rory McIlroy, the four-time major champion from Northern Ireland, proposed that Donald Trump’s potential return to the US presidency might facilitate reconciliation between the competing golf tours. A golf enthusiast, Trump has previously commended the profitable LIV tour, which has hosted five of its tournaments at his properties since its establishment in June 2022. Regarding this, Kinnings commented, “To have a president who wants the best for the game has to be a good thing. You have to welcome that.” He further emphasized, “It will require everyone to pull together to make sure we do the best for the game. We have to fix these things.”