‘LIV Golf and PGA Tour have blinded us – playing for $20 million every week isn’t realistic’
By Matt Chivers
Dan Bradbury’s career on the DP World Tour is still in its infancy after bursting on to the scene in South Africa at the end of 2022.
After a mightly impressive US college career in Tennessee, the 23-year-old headed to the Joburg Open in November and romped home by three shots – on just his third start on the tour.
The Yorkshireman banked 2,773,750 South African Rand, just over £113,000. Sihwan Kim earned more than that by coming last at LIV Golf Washington DC last week.
But, while speaking to The Slam – a National Club Golfer podcast – Bradbury believes perspective on prize money has been muddled by the dizzying sums offered by LIV Golf – and now the PGA Tour.
In response to the Saudi-financed league’s riches, the American circuit introduced elevated purse events in 2023 with average prize funds of $20 million, and are set to include a number of no-cut events in the 2024 schedule too – guaranteeing each player in the field a chunk of prize money.
Bradbury believes the DP World Tour has more than enough cash to please the bank accounts of its best players despite being unable to match the cash flow of its strategic alliance partner and rising opponent in LIV.
“I’d say some comments have been pretty harsh,” Bradbury said. “Not everyone agrees with what Keith Pelley does or what the tour is doing right now, but with the whole dynamic of world golf right now, it’s almost impossible to know what’s coming around the corner.
“The strategic alliance has been good for us in a lot of ways and maybe not in others, but we’re still playing on a great tour with good fields. There are a few weaker tournaments and everyone is allowed their own opinion.
“Someone will say it’s rubbish and some won’t – as a player, I’m getting to go to new countries and play good golf courses and we are still playing for a lot of money.
“People have been blinded by this whole LIV thing and the PGA Tour’s elevated events and thinking that everybody should be playing for $20 million every week. No, that’s not realistic.
“Just play for your two or three million, and if you win, you get half a million euros. You can’t complain about that, can you?
“I was playing mini-tour stuff last year and coming fifth and getting £800 – there are levels to this and we’re at the top.
“This is European tour golf and we’re playing for a lot of money. Just go out and enjoy it.”
Each of the next five DP World Tour events features prize funds of at least $2 million, with the Genesis Scottish Open in July holding a $9 million pot.
Harold Varner III won $4 million at Trump National Golf Club last week, while the winner of this week’s Memorial Tournament will receive $3.6 million.
Excessive prize funds seem to be the order of the day for tours to nail down their best players, but Bradbury has a distinctly different outlook on the subject.
The Wakefield man said it would be “ideal” to one day earn a PGA Tour card, but for now, he certainly has no qualms with the destinations and money available to him in Europe.
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
