Alarm bells are ringing in the locker rooms with the revelation that Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour, is the second high-profile leader in the professional male game to quit in two days.
Not even 24 hours had passed since the R&A announced Martin Slumbers was retiring as supremo of the governing body later this year, when word came from Canada that Pelley has accepted to head up Toronto’s four sports franchises and so walk away from Wentworth HQ at a crucial time in the male game.
Currently the DP World Tour is negotiating alongside the PGA Tour in merger talks with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and although not sat directly at the table, Pelley is an influential figure in the discussions that will shape the professional fairways for the forthcoming years and decades.
A close confidante of Jay Monahan, the beleaguered PGA Tour commissioner, Pelley’s surprise exit will cause consternation in the traditional corridors of power. Pelley first brought the Saudis on board with the formation of the Saudi International that appeared on the Tour’s schedule from 2019-2021 – and was crucial in bringing the respective parties to the table last year.
The move will inevitably be depicted as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Pelley, who turned 60 on Thursday. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd is one of the largest of its kind in North America with multi-billion dollar assets, including ice hockey’s Toronto Maple Leafs, basketball’s Toronto Raptors, gridiron team Toronto Raptors and MLS side Toronto FC.
As a proud Torontonian, this is no doubt a dream role for Pelley, who was previously the CEO of the Argonauts, and will mean a hefty increase in his salary despite earning north of £3 million per annum on the tour. His transatlantic switch will also allow him to relocate from Surrey to be closer to his son, Jason, who is on a golf scholarship at university in Connecticut. He was chosen after a 12-month search to find the successor to Michael Friisdahl and Pelley will have the ambition of overseeing his beloved Maple Leafs’ first Stanley Cup in more than 50 years.
Departure will create a big reaction
Nevertheless, his departure will create a big reaction as he has emerged as a key player in turbulent times in the professional male game since he replaced George O’Grady in 2015. He guided the Tour through the worrying period of Covid – when many predicted the circuit’s demise – and then signed the controversial “strategic alliance” with the PGA Tour in 2021.
What had been a tense relationship for so long was suddenly transformed into a partnership, with the Americans pumping hundreds of millions into what was then the European Tour to help it survive. It was hardly altruism by Monahan, however, as by then the spectre of LIV Golf was emerging and golf’s civil war was beginning. Pelley and his board had turned down an offer from the Saudis to pitch itself against the PGA Tour and the battle lines were drawn.
The last two years have been action-packed for Pelley and despite the renaming of the circuit to the DP World Tour due to a huge sponsorship deal with the Dubai firm, it has been marked by the fight with the LIV rebels. Pelley faced down the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter in a court hearing last year, as Ryder Cup legends – including Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson – insisted that as independent contractors they should be free to play wherever they want and not be subject to fines or bans.
Exit will give LIV rebels heart
Pelley was victorious, but to say the split was acrimonious is an understatement. Poulter and Co resigned en masse, accusing Pelley of jumping into bed with the Americans and making the Tour a mere feeder league. By handing in their cards they made themselves ineligible for the Ryder Cup and it appeared their famous times in the blue and gold had reached an unseemly end.
However, the merger talks have given hope to some of these veterans that there could be a way to the Europe team room – even if as vice-captains or captains – as has the recent LIV capture of Jon Rahm. Pelley’s resignation will give the rebels further reasons for positivity, as there was no doubt the row had turned personal.
The good news for the Tour, however, is there looks to be a ready-made replacement in Guy Kinnings. The former head of IMG golf has been Pelley’s deputy for more than five years and has impressed as Europe’s Ryder Cup director. Furthermore, the Englishman has previously managed the likes of Garcia and Stenson, as well as Europe Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, and could be the ideal candidate to usher in what the Tour prays will be a blessed era of peace.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
