11 January 2024 , 17:46
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DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has resigned from his role after leading the European-based circuit through one of the most turbulent times in the history of professional golf.
The European Tour Group boss will officially end his tenure on April 2 to take up a role in his native Canada as president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd, who own the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC and the Toronto Raptors. Pelley said in a statement: "It has been an incredible honour to be the Chief Executive of this wonderful institution for the past eight and a half years.
“When I came over from Canada back in 2015, I set out to create a culture of innovation and to grow our prize funds and our Tour for our members by ensuring that we appealed to new, younger and more diverse audiences.
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“We have done that and so much more because our players, staff, partners, broadcasters and fans have all fundamentally bought into that philosophy that we are in the entertainment industry. I would therefore like to thank everyone for their support and commitment to innovation and evolution in our sport."
His decision comes with the DP World Tour currently in negotiations with the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF). A deal between the three is set to reunite the world of golf after two years of civil war, with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour expected to work in unison with their LIV Golf rivals.
Any agreement will now be without the input of Pelley though, who will be replaced by current deputy CEO Guy Kinnings. Pelley's tenure in charge of European golf has been a hectic one, especially after finding himself embroiled in the saga surrounding LIV Golf and its poaching of players.
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Keith Pelley has been at the centre of professional golf's recent saga (Getty Images)Pelley and the Tour were forced into a legal battle with a number of its members - including Ian Poulter - who chose to make the move to the LIV setup. The battle was eventually won by the Tour, who were granted the power to fine and suspend players for competing on the breakaway circuit.
This led to an exodus of tour membership resignations, with the likes of Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia all giving up their playing rights on the back of the sanctions. On the back of his decision to quit last May, 25-time DP World Tour winner Westwood appeared content with the decision, claiming the circuit has been become a 'feeder tour' to its PGA partners under the control of Pelley.
"In my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour and even though Keith [Pelley] says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour," he told the Telegraph in May. "The top 10 players on the tour, not already exempt this year, have a pathway to the PGA Tour – that’s giving our talent away. That was never the tour’s policy before this 'strategic alliance'. Sorry, I don’t want to play under that sort of regime.