European Tour Increases Number of Required Events
The European Tour will require its members to compete in at least 12 events, beginning with the 2009 season, tour officials announced on Tuesday. This is one more than was required this season. The four major championships and the three World Golf Championships all count towards this number.
This move comes at a time when several top US players, including Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh are considering European Tour membership. Traditionally, few US players have competed on the European Tour, but Mickelson has played the Scottish Open the last two years and is expected to compete in the French Open next summer. Tiger Woods said recently that he has no plans to seek European Tour membership.
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The European Tour has taken one helluva punt with this move. With all the talk about increased money on tour and so many players planning to switch allegiance one might have thought that the European Tour might have wanted to soak in the migration first. Instead what they have done is made it clear anyone wanting to play on the European Tour must make that extra effort although a one tournament increase isn’t much, it is still symbolic.
Most of the PGA Tour guys had no problem largely because the majors and the WGC tournaments are included but with this increase they are trying to send out a message that players must try and add another stop to their schedule.
How it might backfire is that one of the big guys like a Mickelson or Woods who might have made it to Dubai without really having to change their schedule might just change their mind now about wanting to be present in the ‘Race to Dubai’
Having said that we know that George O’ Grady has mentioned that they have been in talks with Phil Mickelson; so now they are probably just trying to flex their muscles and ensure that the European Tour does become the number one stop for the big game players.