DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings calls for meeting between PGA Tour, PIF and DPWT to come to 'a compromise'

Guy Kinnings has been at the helm of the DP World Tour since April 2, after six years in varied roles within the organization. As CEO of the European circuit, his first call was to solve once and for all the problems of European professional golf.

From his perspective, the watchword is “commitment.” Guy Kinnings gave an interview to several media outlets on Friday, April 26, in which he was emphatic in highlighting the need for all parties to “commit” to finding a solution.

Guy Kinnings, 2023 Ryder Cup (Image via Getty).

This was part of what Kinnings said (via Golf Digest):

"All I want to do is get the right people round the table—PGA Tour Enterprises, Fenway Sports Group, Strategic Sports Group, the DP World Tour, the Saudi Public Investment Fund—I don’t know."

He continued:

"But there is an intent to talk about what the future can look like. What does the product look like in 2026 and beyond? What is the pathway? But until we get the right people in the right room with the right intent, we are never going to work out a deal. That is what is needed right now. And it’s the same as in any business: don’t leave until you have deal done."

Kinnings added:

"We know it has to be done ASAP. I don’t see too much changing in 2025. 2026 is when we will see significant changes. To do that we need 2025 to prepare. I’m not setting any deadlines. But to plan a new product for 2026 you really need to have it done by the end of this year. Everyone needs to be flexible and compromise. Once we have the right solution we need to move fast."

The PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia signed a framework agreement that also involves the DP World Tour. This agreement was announced on June 6, 2023, and since then, the final agreement has been under negotiation.

At the beginning of 2024, there was speculation that a possible solution to the issue could be ready before The Masters Tournament, which ultimately did not happen.

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What else did Guy Kinnings talk about?

Guy Kinnings addressed various topics related to the current state of the golf world and his organization in particular. However, his speeches drew focus on the need for an agreement to end the division that currently exists in men's professional golf.

The new CEO of the DP World Tour said he was sure that Yasir A-Rumayyan is as much in favor of a solution as any other stakeholder. Guy Kinnings said (via Golf Digest):

"Yassir [Al-Rumayyan] is a very astute businessman. I have no doubt he will have weighed up the dynamics at play. But everything I have heard is that he wants to find a longer-term solution. If he believes in the good of the game, he will know that a split product in the long run is not good."

Guy Kinnings also addressed the issue of the integration of LIV players into the European team for the Ryder Cup. He stated that players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who currently play in LIV Golf, may be eligible to represent Europe if they comply with the penalties imposed on them for not fulfilling their obligations to the DP World Tour.