The Regionals: Premier Golf League Has A Feeder Tour Concept In Mind, Too

I recently mentioned on a podcast or two what I saw as one apparent gaping hole in the World Golf Group’s proposed Premier Golf League: where will the next stars come from? And where might players struggling in the league lland if they are not playing at an elite level?

Turns out, the group addressed this too.

Anyone can imagine forming a 12-team, 48 player league now that we’ve seen basic details. But golfers come and go. Games peak and deteriorate. It’s a cruel sport.

As we’ve seen in recent years, fans, marketers and the precious M’s are eager to see new talents break through.

The PGA Tour and European Tour, at their finest, showcase elite talents but prove just as satisfying when a journeyman makes a life changing run or a young player graduates to the winner’s circle.

The World Golf Group has actually addressed finding a place for 264 professionals. A well-placed source highlighted plans for “The Regional Series” to bring more players into the Premier Golf League equation.

The key points:

—Planned as a year-two concept following the establishment of the primary Premier Golf League. This means 2023, based on the current proposed timing.

—The “tiered feeder structure” plays under a “Global Series” format, featuring three tiers defined by region: America, Europe and Asia.

—It will provide “enhanced earning opportunities for the “leading 264 touring professionals” to “cater for and enfranchise the next layer of professional golfers and generate a coherent, compelling and correlated, multi- layered seasonal narrative." B-speak translation: feeder tours taking on the PGA Tour/Korn Ferry/Asian Tour/European Tour.

—The three regions will each create a winner and provide “guaranteed, exclusive access to the Premier Golf League.”

—The Premier Golf League intends to fill “any gap” in earnings compared to current standards on their respective tours, and offer this less-than-subtle jab: “although should such a situation arise it would suggest that the leading players are currently subsidizing the earnings of less well-known players on existing tours.”

—The PGL will pay a “subsistence fee” to cover travel and accommodation costs.

Obviously, there are still huge questions to answer about available venues, media interest and just how many players not invited to the initial Premier League would jump ship. But this does at least address how the organizers have envisioned the development of stars, or redevelopment of top talent.