The reality is, earning profits solely from operating a tour is hard – whether or not it’s the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour, a lot of the cash will get funnelled again to the gamers.
So we’re considering larger. For instance, we’re about to launch our first Legends Tour Resort, a mission price £600 million.
We’re additionally exploring branded academies, actual property alternatives tied to golf programs, and even attire strains. We wish to create an ecosystem across the Tour that faucets into varied income streams past simply the tournaments.
The discourse round skilled golf, actually within the males’s recreation, has been dominated by prize cash and the huge quantities that gamers can earn. Do you assume the general public is getting uninterested in the fixed give attention to cash?
There’s some huge cash in skilled sports activities typically — have a look at soccer or Method One — and I don’t assume individuals are essentially fed up with it.
The problem is ensuring tournaments stay commercially viable, particularly with all of the competitors from entities like LIV Golf.
We’ve grown our prize fund on the Legends Tour considerably since I took over, from $3.9 million to round $8 million this yr, and we’re aiming for $10 million subsequent yr.
By 2030, we wish to have 15 tournaments with $2 million prize swimming pools every, plus the majors. It’s formidable, however we’re constructing an ecosystem to help that development.
Are you able to inform me about your relationship with the Trump organisation?
It’s been unbelievable. Eric Trump, specifically, has been very supportive of our occasions, and the crew at Trump Aberdeen did an exceptional job with the internet hosting of the PGA Seniors Championship.
Donald Trump himself even took the time to ship a private message to the gamers earlier than considered one of our tournaments and known as the winner afterwards, which was a pleasant contact.
Say what you’ll about Trump, however the folks in his organisation are top-notch, and so they’ve been nice companions for us.
Lastly, the place do you play your golf and do you might have a favorite course?
Within the UK, Wentworth and Beaverbrook are my golf equipment. Wentworth is my residence membership and I really like the West Course. Beaverbrook is a non-public members membership close to Leatherhead in Surrey the place the entire surroundings is one thing actually particular.
I spend numerous time in southern Spain and Finca Cortesin is my residence membership when I’m based mostly over there. Somewhat bit like Beaverbrook, it has a particular really feel to it. I completely find it irresistible there!
