DP World Tour adds Japan to expanding schedule
In another sign of golf outside of the PGA Tour bubble heating up around the world was news of the European Tour’s move into Japan.
The DP World Tour, as the European Tour is now known, will arrive on the island nation from April 21-24 2022 for the ISPS HANDA Championship and will mark the first time an event outside of the Olympics has been co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley (Credit: European Tour)
The tournament, which will be played at PGM Ishioka Golf Club, 90 minutes north-east of Tokyo, will feature a purse of US$2 million and strengthens the cashed up Middle East’s foray into professional golf on the back of the recent partnership between Saudi Golf and the Asian Tour.
With a population of billions, the Asia represents an enormous opportunity over the coming decades to reduce the PGA Tour’s stranglehold on world golf. As the South Koreans and Japanese have shown, there is endless talent on the continent, but more opportunities need to be made available for players of all levels.
“The DP World Tour is a global tour and, as a result, we relish opportunities such as this to break new ground; in the process creating exciting golf tournaments for our fans worldwide and wonderful opportunities for our players and stakeholders alike,” said European Tour group Chief Executive, Keith Pelley.
Dubai’s DP World became the title sponsor of the European Tour group’s main Tour from the 2022 season and will feature a minimum of 47 events in 27 different countries, including new events in Japan, the UAE, South Africa and Belgium.
