In another bombshell for European golf, DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley will leave his post and return to Canada after being hired by one of the country's biggest sports and entertainment groups.
Hot on the heels of the news that R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers will leave his role at the end of the year, Pelley also leaving the DP World Tour makes it a monumental week in golf with the two figureheads of the European game departing.
Pelley will be replaced by Guy Kinnings on April 2.
“It has been an incredible honour to be the Chief Executive of this wonderful institution for the past eight and a half years," Pelley said.
“When I came over from Canada back in 2015, I set out to create a culture of innovation and to grow our prize funds and our Tour for our members by ensuring that we appealed to new, younger and more diverse audiences.
“We have done that and so much more because our players, staff, partners, broadcasters and fans have all fundamentally bought into that philosophy that we are in the entertainment industry. I would therefore like to thank everyone for their support and commitment to innovation and evolution in our sport.
“This role with MLSE, and the chance to be involved with my hometown sports teams in Toronto, was the one opportunity that I simply could not resist. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do at some point in my career and I’m very grateful to be given that chance.
“Similarly, I’m eternally grateful for the incredible experiences my family and I have had with the Tour over the last eight and a half years. I am also fortunate to be able to pass the baton on to someone immensely experienced and respected in Guy who I have no doubt will ensure the Tour continues to prosper for many years to come.”
Pelley's replacement, Guy Kinnings, is the tour's current Deputy Chief Executive Officer and also the European Tour Group’s Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Director – Ryder Cup.
Kinnings said: “It has been a privilege to work closely with Keith since I joined the Tour in 2018. He set out to transform the European Tour group, and unquestionably he has done that.
“It will be a huge honour to take on this role in April and I am immensely proud to have been given this responsibility. I will continue to work closely with Keith, Eric and the Board over the next three months to ensure a seamless transition.
“I look forward to working with our players, staff and partners in the game, as well as our very impressive Executive Leadership and Senior Management Teams, to continue to build upon everything our Tour has achieved in recent years.”
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), which controls four of the country's top sports teams, has hired Pelley as their new president and chief executive, "concluding an executive search that has lasted nearly a year."
MLSE run NBA side the Toronto Raptors, NHL ice hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs, MLS outfit Toronto FC and also the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.
A TSN report describes the job Pelley is joining as “one of the most coveted positions in North American sports, overseeing a collection of prized sports and real estate assets that are worth billions of dollars.”
You can see how a return home to such a big job would appeal to Pelley, who joined the DP World Tour in 2015 from Rogers Media in Canada and has a wealth of experience in the sports media market in his native country.
Also a former CEO of the Argonauts, Pelley and was initially praised for the energetic and positive approach he brought to his role and the impact he had on European golf.
Pelley looked to make innovative changes to European golf, trying out ideas such as GolfSixes, the Shot Clock Masters and introducing the Scandinavian Mixed event involving male and female golfers.
He oversaw the renaming of the European Tour after doing a deal with DP World and was praised for navigating through the Covid-19 pandemic, but Pelley's tenure has been dominated with the LIV Golf emergence with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund's move into the sport.
Pelley was also criticized for the 'strategic alliance' he formed with the PGA Tour, which some described as making European golf into a feeder tour, so he may welcome a return to calmer waters back in Canada.
Having to go through legal battles with European golf legends in the fallout to LIV Golf moves and then trying to keep the DP World Tour on an even keel as the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF try to negotiate a proper deal have all been tough issues for Pelley to deal with.
The timing of his expected departure will raise eyebrows as it could not come at a more critical time for golf as negotiations to flesh out the ‘framework agreement’ continue.
The DP World Tour, PGA Tour and LIV Golf will all be part of the new commercial entity created if talks are successful, but whether Pelley stays on to see them through or leaves immediately remains to be seen.
