DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley hired as president & CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment: Reports

According to reports, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley is leaving his post. On Wednesday (January 10), Canada’s The Sports Network (TSN) reported that the European Tour official has been hired as president and chief executive of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. It is pertinent to note that the report came on the same day Martin Slumbers stepped down as the CEO of The R&A and the secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

For the unversed, MLSE is the parent company of several Toronto-based sports franchises, including the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, and the city’s MLS and Canadian Football League franchises. Pelley, who has been the DP World Tour chief executive since 2015, will step down by the end of 2024.

According to the aforementioned source, Pelley will be named the president and chief executive of MLSE this week. The official announcement is expected to be made by Thursday, Pelley’s 60th birthday. Once completed, the now-European Tour executive will replace Michael Friisdahl, who has been serving as MLSE’s president and CEO since 2015.

Notably, the reports of Pelley’s step down from the DP World Tour’s leadership post come amid negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and PGA Tour. It’ll be interesting to see what path the European Tour chooses in the future. It is pertinent to note that Pelley always spoke about keeping the sports’ best interest while undergoing such talks.

Commenting on the meeting with the PIF and the PGA Tour officials, the DP World Tour head was quoted as saying by Golf Digest back in November:

“The conversations we are having will be in the best interests of global golf and the best interests of the DP World Tour. I won’t comment on specific formats or seasons as all those conversations are confidential. But, as I’ve said internally, things have heated up since the Ryder Cup. Discussions have intensified.”

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Martin Slumbers steps down as The R&A CEO

Slumbers, who has been one of the most influential people in golf, has announced his decision to step down from the leadership of the R&A. The current CEO of the European side of governing bodies is set to end his tenure as the 2024 season concludes. The announcement was made via the official website of the R&A on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Martin Slumbers said, as per Golfweek:

"It has been a privilege to serve golf at the highest level. It is a role that I have been proud to carry out on behalf of The R&A’s employees, the members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and all our global partners.

"In any career, there is a time to allow the next generation to have its turn. I am grateful to have had the honor, for nearly a decade, to have been the custodian of all that The R&A and the game of golf more broadly represents.”

It is noteworthy that Slumbers will oversee events like The Open Championship at Royal Troon, the AIG Women's Open at St. Andrews and the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale in his last year of power.