Tour pro: 'Unexpected' PGA Tour announcement caught DPWT bosses by surprise

England's Eddie Pepperell claims the recent changes to the 2024 PGA Tour schedule have taken bosses at the DP World Tour by surprise. 

Those changes are in relation to the tour's designated events in 2024. 

From next year there will be as many as eight 'no-cut' tournaments with fields reduced to 70-78 players with bumper prize purses to rival LIV Golf. 

Huge questions were raised about the proposals, even by some PGA Tour members.

Rory McIlroy and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, unsurprisingly, were among those to fiercely defend the direction the tour is heading. 

One aspect under increasing scrutiny is the DP World Tour's 'strategic alliance' with the PGA. 

At the end of this season, the top 10 players on the former world circuit will be given PGA Tour cards. 

Related: McIlroy defends 'strategic alliance'

Then throw into the mix the changes to the PGA schedule and it means the games top European names will be reduced to fewer Rolex Series events. 

What does that mean for the alliance? Where is it?

Pepperell told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast:

Watch here:

Eddie Pepperell gives his opinion on the strategic alliance on the DP World Tour and the future it may bring

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) March 29, 2023

Pepperell's comments come as a four-page memo was released to the PGA Tour membership about how to qualify for the designated events and the FedEx Cup points on offer. 

See here:

Not everyone agrees that the strategic alliance is under threat. 

Former Ryder Cup Europe captain Paul McGinley defended the partnership, claiming it was a 'natural progression of what we have been doing over the last few years'. 

McGinley was speaking last November when he made those comments. He has since not renewed his membership on the DP World Tour's board. 

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