"Less of that big family feel": Ex-Ryder Cup winner criticizes lack of welcoming environment on the PGA Tour as compared to DPWT

The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are considered to be two of the biggest golf tours in the world. Many of the top golfers in the world make their rounds on both tours during their season and Robert MacIntyre recently pointed out some stark differences between the two tours.

Robert MacIntyre is one of the golfers who plays on both the PGA Tour and the DPWT alongside other golfers like Rory McIlroy. The Scottish golfer was also a part of the European team that won the 2023 Ryder Cup.

MacIntyre recently spoke about the difference between the environment on the PGAT and the DPWT. MacIntyre pointed out that the DPWT was a much more homely environment as compared to the PGAT. He said (via Bunkered):

“It’s been wild to be honest. It’s completely different. When you’re on the DP World Tour, it’s very friendly. Everyone is together. We’re all traveling the world. If we’re struggling with certain things, we speak to folk around us."

The PGA Tour, however, is a colder environment where people are not as friendly and golfers keep to themselves according to MacIntyre.

“You come out here to the PGA Tour, and it’s all so unfamiliar. There’s less chatting. There’s less dinners. There’s just less of that big family feel that you get on the European Tour.”

The PGAT is currently facing quite a bit of tension after they announced a merger agreement with the Saudi Arabian PIF.

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PGA Tour and DPWT's alliance aims to increase global golf footprint

The PGAT and the DPWT have been in an alliance since 2022, with the former now holding a 40% stake in the latter tour. The alliance comes at a time when both tours aim to increase the global footprint of golf, with an increase in awareness being their primary goal.

The PGAT will also finance the prize money for the next five years. The top 10 leaders in the Race to Dubai will also receive a PGAT card membership for the following season. This clause caused quite a bit of controversy since many were apprehensive about the number of players the DPWT would lose every year.

However, Rory McIlroy has been a supporter of the alliance. Speaking via Golf Digest, he said:

“The European Tour has already benefited from all that has gone on. Everyone talks about losing 10 players every year to the PGA Tour. But that is inevitable anyway. Now they have an official pathway. You can’t hide behind the fact that the PGA Tour is where every player wants to be. That’s a fact of life."

Since then, several players have been involved in both the PGAT and the DPWT.