Paul McGinley makes one demand for golf deal

Paul McGinley has sounded off on the current state of men’s professional golf, insisting it needs a complete overhaul.

It comes on the heels of the DP World Tour season finale, in which Rory McIlroy claimed a sixth Race to Dubai title.

The Northern Irishman landed win number 18 on the Wentworth-based circuit after playing his part in a blockbuster campaign.

Across it’s ‘Back 9’ events, the DP World Tour bucked worrying trends by reporting a 13% rise in their average peak live TV viewership on Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, record numbers attended the events in person, and that’s why McGinley believes it has ‘thrived’ despite an ongoing war with no winners.

So, if a deal does take place in the men’s game, he believes the DP World Tour should be at the heart of it.

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“As another successful season wraps @DPWorldTour, it’s clear pro golf needs a new landscape to develop,” the 57-year-old wrote on X.

“As the little guy in the middle of two huge financial powerhouses, the DPWT has survived and thrived in a very difficult business environment, against huge odds.

“However, this current state ensures that no tour wins as players benefit disproportionately and all three tours struggle to be financially sustainable and invest in improving their product for fans.

“Europe has proved again that it has lots to offer in terms of its talent, history & culture.

“Any deal should continue to have Europe at the forefront of the golfing calendar at certain times of the year, hopefully with more of the world’s best players playing too.”

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Bringing the game’s elite back together is no new idea, but uncertainty is growing over how the future will look.

Both LIV Golf and the DP World Tour announced their 2025 schedules last week, while LIV continues to plan for 2026.

Greg Norman, commissioner and CEO of LIV, has met with representatives to discuss a new event in Japan.

Meanwhile, Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour’s chief executive, recently expressed his desire to see a ‘different schedule’ in 2026.

Speaking to BBC Sport’s Ian Carter at the DP World Tour Championship, he said: “We all hope there may be a different schedule in 2026 but who knows what that might be.

“We can only focus on what we can control and that is to make the 2025 schedule as good as it can be.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.