Golf’s DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) has announced its schedule for the 2023 season, featuring a record prize fund and a $150,000 payout to golfers playing 15 events or more.
The schedule for the new season includes at least 39 tournaments to be played in 26 countries, starting with the jointly sanctioned Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane and Joburg Open in South Africa, both beginning on November 24.
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The season will conclude with the DP World Tour Championships in Dubai from November 17 to 20 next year.
Players will compete for an overall prize fund of $144.2 million across the tournaments outside the Major Championships and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. There will also be an increased bonus pool of $6 million for the leading eight players on the DP World Tour Rankings through the circuit’s partnership with luxury watch brand Rolex.
In the latest response to the threat of the lucrative rebel LIV Golf Series, golfers on the circuit will also receive a guaranteed $150,000 under the tour’s new ‘Earnings Assurance Program’ if they play a minimum of 15 events.
The US-based PGA Tour announced a similar program in August, with rookies guaranteed $500,000.
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By GlobalDataPlayers that placed last in each of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf events this season earned $120,000, while US star Dustin Johnson earned more than $35 million in individual and team prize money.
Keith Pelly, DP World Tour chief executive, said: “For us to be able to offer our members record prize funds and enhanced earning opportunities is massive, particularly when global economies are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and with the new challenge of rising inflation significantly putting pressure on costs in all facets of our business.
“Our overall prize fund for the 2023 season represents $50 million more than 2021 and also underlines the strength of our partnership with the PGA Tour, who are working with us to drive revenue and a long-term growth plan.
“One of the many benefits we have been able to introduce because of this partnership is the new Earnings Assurance Program, similar to what they already have on the PGA Tour.
“I have always believed that it is an incredible accomplishment for any professional golfer to simply gain their playing rights on the DP World Tour and this new initiative recognizes and rewards that achievement.
“Although we will never lose the magic of the meritocracy and purity of a performance-based structure, this now offers certainty of income to those players who have made it to the pinnacle of the professional game in Europe.”
The record prize fund, increased bonus pool, and Earnings Assurance Program were made through the DP World Tour’s operational joint venture partnership with the PGA Tour.
In June, the DP World Tour and PGA Tour announced an expanded and strengthened strategic alliance through a new 13-year operational joint venture partnership. That tie-up, which will run through 2025, builds on the existing alliance between the two tours that was unveiled in November 2020.
The first four Rolex Series events of 2023 have seen their prize purses rise, with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open, and BMW PGA Championship all increasing from $8 million to $9 million next year.
New tournaments in Asia have also been added to the schedule, with events taking place in Singapore (February 9 to 12), Thailand (February 16 to 19), Japan (April 20 to 23), and South Korea (April 27 to 30).
A three-week summer break has also been scheduled following the 151st Open Championship and Barracuda Championship (both July 20 to 23), introduced after player feedback.
Further details about the autumn events will be announced soon.
Image: Warren Little/Getty Images
