Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Clark discussed the PGA Tour’s need to stage worldwide events ahead of the Andalucía Masters in Southern Spain.
U.S. Open Champion Wyndham Clark wants to see more global events on the PGA Tour.
He is in Southern Spain this week, where the DP World Tour is staging the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.
Clark last played in the Ryder Cup, held in Rome, Italy.
“I hope there are more events we can play over here,” Clark said Wednesday.
“I love the PGA Tour, I love the United States, but I also love traveling the world and growing the game of golf; I think it’s the best thing for golf, to make it a global game. If we could play more events outside the U.S. that have both U.S. players and international players, I think it’s the best thing for the game.”
Indeed, golf is a global game, as over 200 countries have at least one golf course.
Yet, the PGA Tour has predominately held its tournaments in the United States—forcing the best players in the world to live and play in America.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Wyndham Clark plays a shot during the pro-am prior to the 2023 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.
During the 2022-23 wraparound season, the PGA Tour staged 11 of its 54 events in Japan, Bermuda, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Scotland, and England.
Every other event occurred in the United States, with zero tournaments in continental Europe.
Meanwhile, LIV Golf prides itself on staging events internationally. The Saudi-backed tour hosted events in the Middle East, Australia, Southeast Asia, and even Andalucía in 2023.
Australian Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, has longed for an international schedule since the mid-1990s. He has seen this dream come to fruition through LIV.
PGA Tour defector and Hall of Fame golfer, Phil Mickelson, has often spoken publicly about LIV’s mission to grow the game internationally.
Take this past week, for instance. Brooks Koepka won the LIV Golf event in Saudi Arabia. Now, the breakaway tour heads to Miami this week for the final tournament of the season.
Perhaps a more globalized schedule for elite golfers will look like this in 2025, should the PGA Tour’s agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)—LIV Golf’s benefactor—go through.
“I would love it if we had five to seven events outside the U.S. which were in Europe, or in Asia, or the Middle East, or wherever it is,” Clark added.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
The silhouette of Wyndham Clark is seen as the sun sets behind him during the pro-am at the 2023 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters.
Maybe the PGA Tour should co-sanction more national opens across Europe, similar to what they do with the DP World Tour’s Genesis Scottish Open.
The Italian Open is a big tournament, as is the Spanish Open and the Open de France. Plenty of others fit this bill, too.
With players making millions of dollars nowadays, traveling across the world has become much more manageable. It’s not like the days of old when Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus would lose money by competing in The Open Championship thanks to travel and hospitality costs.
Instead, the world’s best have the luxury to travel the world, play different venues, and even enjoy local cultures.
“It’s been a great experience,” Clark said of his time in Southern Spain thus far.
“The food’s been fantastic, the people are amazing, and as for the golf course, I was really pleasantly surprised. I really haven’t played much golf like this. The trees out there, the topography, it’s so beautiful.”
Added Matt Kuchar: “It reminds me a lot of Southern California. You’ve got mountains, you’ve got the ocean, you’ve got palm trees, it’s a pretty special place.”
Playing around the world allows fans within their home countries to see some of the game’s biggest stars, too. Golf fans are everywhere, and Clark wants to see the tour deliver its product to them in the future.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
