BBC: The Premier Golf League Is Back And Shooting For 2023 Start

BBC’s Iain Carter has the scoop: the World Golf Group’s Premier Golf League is back. While bruised from a failed merger attempt with the European Tour and Golf Saudi’s “Super Golf League” theft of the original concept once partly funded by the Public Investment Fund, they are set to announce later this week goals for a 2023 start and $20 million weekly purses.

The Formula 1 style concept remains in place with 18 tournaments featuring the top 48 male players in the world, with what sounds like a harder push to start a women’s version sooner than later. The team concept remains a centerpiece with four-player squads facing off in a season-ending event.

Carter writes of the funding:

Those backing the project, run by the British-based World Golf Group, are worth in excess of $20bn according to boss Andy Gardiner.

It is believed this iteration of the PGL involves no ties to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment fund or the Crown Prince, greatly increasing the potential appeal for some players.

Speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, Gardiner said: "The team is ready to go.

"We've used the last eight months to bring in externals to check through every single piece of the model to make sure the events of the last 12 months with Covid haven't changed our thinking.

"The January 2023 date right now is entirely feasible. We will see how the conversations go with the community that we want to embrace."

Already addressed by Gardiner: the threats of expulsion from Tours for signing up.

"Different bodies create their own sets of rules to protect what they have and then it's a question of whether the rules that they have in place are fair and that's when you look at the relevant law.

"Imagine the reaction of the sponsors and the broadcasters if the world's best players were all of a sudden banned. Common law in the US says that is a punishment, that's not a protection.

"You've got to allow people to live their own lives. That's why I'm confident."

More details to come!

In the meantime for those interested, here is my coverage of the PGL when it last surfaced over a year ago.