Golf News: Premier Golf League’s boss steps forward

On 'The Rick Shiels Golf Show' podcast, British financier Andrew Gardiner said the proposed world tour 'only happens if everybody wants it to happen'

Revealed: Andrew Gardiner, the chief executive officer of the proposed Premier Golf League, with his insights behind the upstart world tour. Gardiner, a London financier who is a director at Barclays Capital, disclosed on The Rick Shiels Golf Show podcast his concept for the PGL. Many of the details already have been reported: The PGL intends to debut in January 2022 with 12 four-man teams in 18 no-cut, 54-hole stroke-play tournaments with purses of $10 million each. Competition would be held January-August on four continents: 10 in the U.S., four in Asia, three in Europe and one in Australia. “This only happens if everybody wants it to happen,” Gardiner said, “and that includes the best players in the world.” Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who is No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, already has declined any interest. American Phil Mickelson, who played with Gardiner in a pro-am before last month’s Saudi International, said it was “fascinating” to learn about the proposed PGL. Tiger Woods said he was “personally approached” by PGL representatives but remained non-committal. Charley Hoffman, the new head of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council, said he was reluctant “to be owned by some Saudi money.”

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