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Matt Fitzpatrick expressed his disapproval of the recent partnership between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. The English golfer ripped into the decision that allowed a select group of top PGA Tour players to participate in the BMW PGA Championship.
Speaking ahead of his title defense at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Fitzpatrick claimed there shouldn't have been a partnership at all. In a seemingly brutal assessment of the situation, he said (via bunkered) :
“I was pretty livid, to be honest, at Wentworth when I found out that there was a handful of PGA Tour players coming to play, and at that point in time, not every person who kept their card last year got in the field, which I think is a disgrace. That’s the flagship event," he said.
He noted that the PGA Tour doesn't invite DP World Tour players to the Players Championship, and Fitzpatrick couldn't believe the European Tour would return the favor for something the other side hasn't done. Further in his criticism of the partnership, he remarked:
“I thought that was absolutely absurd that that even went through.”
He acknowledged that he is primarily a PGA Tour player in the field, but that players have to play against the best of the best, which is why he and others accepted invites to the BMW PGA Championship.
Matt Fitzpatrick offers a format solution for divide within golf
While Matt Fitzpatrick may not be heavily involved in the merger between PIF and the PGA Tour, he commented on what a possible solution could be to bring the game together.
Likening it to soccer, Fitzpatrick said there should be a relegation system which is followed by various sports including the soccer divisions: Premier League, the Championship, and League One. He said (via the aforementioned source):
“You can bring everyone together and there’s more of a relegation promotion, there’s a few more stories there, you can work your way up. If everyone was together, I feel like that would be more beneficial, anyway."
Fitzpatrick acknowledged that he doesn't know the ratings off-hand, but that he believes there's always more attention, specifically on English soccer, when relegation and promotion are in effect and the same could be brought to golf as well. While praising the team aspect in tournaments such as Ryder Cup, Fitzpatrick said:
“So, I’m not fully against the team aspect but if it’s a closed shop, there’s not too many story lines in there," he added.
Matt Fitzpatrick concluded by saying that he would leave the decision to the people who are working on the merger behind the scenes, claiming that they are "smarter" than he is, and 'know how to run businesses.'
