New golf tour in the works

A new global golf circuit is being planned, multiple sources have confirmed to Reuters, in what would be the biggest upheaval in the professional game in decades.

To be named the World Golf Series, the circuit proposed by the British-based World Golf Group has been in planning for over a year.

The group hopes to stage 15-to-20 yearly tournaments around the world, each offering a purse of close to US$20 million (S$26.9m), according to sources .

Such a figure would dwarf the prize money currently on offer on the game's richest circuit, the US PGA Tour, whose biggest purse this season is US$11 million.

Several blue-chip sponsors are believed to be on board for the series if top players can be signed.

But the new tour faces major hurdles, not least that it is likely to meet staunch opposition from the PGA Tour and is also unlikely to be sanctioned for world ranking points. - REUTERS