DP World Tour identity crisis?

Rory McIlroy is in prime position to claim the season-ending Harold Vardon trophy for the 7th time, pulling him within one of record holder Colin Montgomerie (Monty won eight Order of Merit titles). But existential questions remain. Should McIlroy be hailed as the best in Europe when he has barely played on the continent? The Northern Irish icon has played just five non-Major DP World Tour events this season. To put that into context, the man currently sitting in 2nd place in the Race to Dubai standings- Marco Penge- has played 24 DP World Tour events. Would the Englishman be a more justifiable DP World Tour winner?

Penge’s resurgence

Marco Penge has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season, storming up the world rankings just a year after barely retaining his DP World Tour playing privileges. Penge faced a massive setback in December, banned for three months due to betting practices. But the hard-hitting Englishman has bounced back in style, winning three titles to find himself within touching distance of McIlroy. His victory at the Open de Espana was especially sweet, ensuring him of the chance to play at next year’s Masters and Open Championships. As I noted earlier, he has played 24 events on tour and feels like an integral part of the fabric of the season. Why should some glorified interloper- like McIlroy- be deigned the Race to Dubai champ?

The case for McIlroy

McIlroy created golfing history this year, becoming just the 6th player in history complete the career Grand Slam. Winning a Major creates a massive DP World Tour point’s windfall, affording him the opportunity to take a more lackadaisical approach to DP World Tour participation. He has largely coasted since expending all that mental energy at Augusta, fading into the background as Scheffler and Fleetwood battled for FedEx Cup supremacy. But you can’t argue with his consistency when he has competed in the non-Major DP World Tour events. McIlroy won the Irish Open, finished runner-up in Scotland and finished in a tie for 4th in Dubai (all events featuring elite fields). Penge winning an event featuring just eight players ranked inside the top 125 just doesn’t compare. So, I have no problem with McIlroy leading the current standings.

Uncomfortable realities

Obviously, it would be ideal to see the top dogs competing with slightly more regularity in normal DP World Tour events. As it currently stands, DP World Tour members only need to play four tournaments outside of the Majors to retain their membership (and thus qualify for Ryder Cup qualification). And that is what plenty of the guys do, pay lip service to the DP World Tour while keeping big-daddy PGA Tour (or LIV for that matter) happy. Leaving LIV out of the equation for a second, the US PGA Tour has effectively monopolized seven months of the year (Feb-August). The vast prize money and prestige of playing Stateside just dwarfs anything that Guy Kinnings and co can offer in Europe.

Could enemies become friends?

There has been talk of putting a bit more pressure on the elite European players, potentially doubling the requirement from four to eight non-Major events. But that is a slippery slope that could risk alienating the likes of McIlroy and Fleetwood, potentially risking complete breaks from the European fold. I think the DP World Tour has little option but to leave things be for now. In fact, the much-maligned LIV Golf Tour could be their future savior. The enmity between tours has dissipated in recent years, with many recognizing that Saudi money in professional golf in here to stay, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more cooperation between the DP World Tour and LIV Tour in future seasons (the DP World Tour could do with the money while the LIV Tour could do with the prestige).