European golf legend slams DP World Tour: "I'm getting quite depressed now"

Colin Montgomerie is one of the DP World Tour's most successful players, but he admitted in a recent exclusive interview with GolfMagic the state of his home circuit is making him quite depressed. 

Montgomerie won a record eight European Tour order of merit titles during his career. 

And he amassed a whopping 31 wins on the circuit, which places him fourth in the all-time list of victories. 

During his prime, Montgomerie played week in and week out against the best players in the world, including Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, and many more. 

However, in recent years, the Tour has seen its top talent migrate to America for more money, while some have defected to the LIV Golf League for similar reasons. 

In 2020, the DP World Tour and PGA Tour began a strategic alliance that was intended to strengthen their bond across the pond. 

The initial agreement resulted in instant benefits on European soil, including the co-sanctioning of the Genesis Scottish Open and access for both memberships to the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship on the PGA Tour.

Fast-forward to 2022 and the agreement was revisited, with a brand new 13-year deal put in place. 

Thanks to the new deal, sponsors and money flooded into Europe; however, one key addition to the deal, in Montgomerie's eyes, is making the DP World Tour "suffer."

The addition Montgomerie has an issue with is the pathway that was introduced in 2023, which allowed the top ten players in the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour's season-long competition, to join the PGA Tour for the next season. 

We sat down to discuss whether or not the strategic alliance is weakening the DP World Tour, and this is what Montgomerie had to say:

"Yeah, I'm getting quite depressed now, as I speak on behalf of my old tour, the European Tour. 

"Yes, it's weakened; there's no denying it. You can paint it up as much as you want. You could paint it rose-tinted, whatever you want to do, but come on.

"[In] any business [if] you give away your top 10? Top 10 in your business every year is going to be weaker, isn't it? 

"So [it's] great for the PGA Tour; I can't believe they accepted it, to be honest, because they're taking spots away from Americans, but good on them to get them. 

"Unfortunately, Europe, Europe has suffered, and the European Tour will suffer because of it."

"I was competing against Faldo, Langer, Seve, Olazabal, Woosnam, Lyle, you know, these people; now you get one in the top 50 If you're lucky entering the tournament, and one in the top 75 normally. 

"It's not the same, and it has weakened."

With Montgomerie's current assessment of the DP World Tour being a bleak one, we followed up by asking him what he predicted for the future and its existence. 

He added: "That’s a question that we don't want to answer. But if you lose your top 10 players every year, eventually over three or four years, you're in big trouble.

"You know, nothing left. You've got a Challenge Tour left."

So, what can be done about it?

Well, that responsibility now falls on the shoulders of Guy Kinnings, a good friend of Montgomerie's and the best man at his wedding. 

With the rise of LIV and the DP World Tour clearly struggling for strength of field, he has a big job on his hands. 

Discussing how the DP World Tour could draw big-name players back, Montgomerie believed utilising the rich array of first-class links courses Great Britain has to offer could provide a solution. 

He told us: "I think the course is a big advert for getting a better field.

"What we have, in Britain, we should be showcasing more. We're lucky that the Senior Open is going to Carnoustie, which is great for us. The ladies are at St Andrews, which is great for them this year.

"You know we've got Trump Aberdeen, which is a superb facility. We need more of that. We need more of the courses. The courses are going to really establish the field.

"In Britain, we have, my God, there are some superb places that are still so-called hidden gems. 

"It's unfortunate we’re playing on courses where the sponsorship is there.

"You have to think of the money, but the course, the course, brings the best people definitely."

Montgomerie spoke to GolfMagic as part of his work with Loch Lomond Whisky.

Loch Lomond Whisky is the official spirit of The Open.

And Montgomerie has collaborated with the brand to create The Open Special Edition.