Matt Fitzpatrick admits his concern for the DP World Tour after the PGA Tour announcement, ‘I don’t like that’

Matt Fitzpatrick has admitted that he is worried about the possibility of PGA Tour players taking spots at the biggest DP World Tour events if they are all moved until after the season in the United States.

There are a raft of big changes coming to the game of golf over the next few years. The PGA Tour is set to look drastically different from 2028, with the season set to be streamlined to try and ensure that the best players face off as often as possible.

Meanwhile, the DP World Tour could have a real opportunity to grow again, particularly with so much uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf. It does appear that the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are working to build a much stronger international schedule.

However, that may come with some risks of its own.

The strategic alliance between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour has had some benefits for those at Wentworth. The deal seemed to help protect the tour as LIV gained more momentum. But the agreement also appeared to ensure that it would act as something of a feeder series to the PGA Tour.

With LIV’s future in serious doubt, the DP World Tour may have a real chance to kick on. But when asked ahead of the BMW PGA Championship about where he sees the European circuit in five years, Fitzpatrick conceded he has mixed feelings.

“I think it’s difficult. Yeah, that’s a really difficult question to answer. I think the way the world of golf is now, the top-50 players, top-70 players on the PGA Tour, your priority has to be playing the PGA Tour,” he said.

Europe secured a 15-13 victory in the Netherlands!

“And certainly if you’re an American, it’s very easy because you can finish in August and you could have three months off or whatever until the start of the season. If you’re a European, it’s difficult because this is such a great event. Irish Open last week is a great event. I love playing Switzerland normally, that’s a great event, Dunhill, playoffs. Before you know it, you’ve played 25 a year already and before you know it, you add another five or six in the fall, it can become quite a lot, depending on your priorities.

“How that’s going to play into what guys want to do, it’s a tough one to say.

“I think my concern would be to move the big events into this period, and all of a sudden you start getting guys from the PGA Tour come in that have never had any commitment; seems like a nice week to come over and play in Europe. I don’t like that personally. So I hope that wouldn’t happen.”

As Fitzpatrick notes, the DP World Tour is in a tricky spot. Obviously, they are not going to turn down the chance to have Scottie Scheffler or Xander Schauffele compete in their events if they decide they want to.

However, for the players, it is much easier to accept Billy Horschel or Patrick Reed. They are among the names who have given plenty to the DP World Tour over the years.

It may be that the scale of the changes to the PGA Tour tempts some players to return full-time to the DP World Tour much sooner than they had initially planned.

Some European players would rather play on the DP World Tour than the Challenger Series. And if others do not like how the Championship Series works on the PGA Tour from 2028, they may well decide to walk away and head back across the Atlantic.

There is a lot of uncertainty right now. But these changes could end up benefitting the DP World Tour.

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