Premier Golf League Could Tee Off In 2023

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he Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) face yet another breakaway competition with the £250 million (AUD$457 million) Premier Golf League (PGL) set to begin in January 2023.

The competition is separate to the Saudi-backed Super Golf League, but players could face the same lifetime bans threatened by the PGA should they abandon the PGA Tour.

According to the BBC, the PGL will include 18 tournaments targeting the top 48 male players to compete at each event.

Each competition will be worth a reported US $20 million (AUD$26 million) with the winner receiving $4 million (AUD$5 million) and last place receiving $150, 000 (AUD$194,000), which is a large increase when compared to “the biggest purse on the PGA tour for a single event [being] US$2.7 million (AUD$3.5 million).”

Speaking with BBC Sport, PGL boss Andy Gardiner said the competition does not want to replace the game’s pinnacle events such as the Ryders Cup, but to exclude players from such competitions because of their involvement with the PGL would be unlawful.

“Think about the individual’s right to work,” Gardiner said.

“Competition laws exist to ensure there is a level playing field and everybody in these circumstances can compete for the services of the best players in the world.

“Different bodies create their own sets of rules to protect what they have and then it is a question of whether the rules that they have in place are fair and that’s when you look at the relevant law.

“The January 2023 date right now is entirely feasible.

“We will see how the conversations go with the community that we want to embrace,” he said.

In addition to the expulsion threat, players that sign up to the PGL are also concerned they will not receive world ranking points, but Gardiner has stated that no player will be asked to sign up until these issues have been addressed.

“There have been barriers, but there is no need.

“I’ve listened to players talk about being banned, they are not going to ban the players, I can assure them of that,” he said.

Gardiner also told BBC Sport, while the PGL came close to a deal with the European tour, they had not held discussions with the PGA.