Aaron Rai has called for the BMW PGA Championship and the Dubai Desert Classic to be elevated as the PGA Tour looks to embrace more international events in the coming years.
The DP World Tour appears to have a real opportunity to kick on having seemingly weathered the storm caused by LIV Golf since 2022.
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The European Tour definitely suffered due to LIV’s formation. And while their strategic alliance with the PGA Tour seemed to help secure its survival, it did appear to become more of a feeder circuit, particularly with the 10 best players in Europe earning a card Stateside each year.
Aaron Rai names the DP World Tour events he would like to see elevated
The PGA Tour’s plans to split into Championship and Challenger tiers from 2028 could help the DP World Tour. A number of established events could receive a boost to their fields depending on where they fall during the season.
A more condensed PGA Tour season could cause problems when it comes to events such as the Scottish Open, where DP World Tour players make up a large percentage of the field.
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
However, there is scope for events outside of the regular season to be elevated. And speaking to the media ahead of the Wyndham Championship, Aaron Rai spoke about the events he would love to see receive a lift.
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“Putting like any of the politics to one side, I think the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is an incredible tournament. I think it’s a fantastic start of year as well in the Middle East and on the DP World Tour [at the Dubai Desert Classic],” he said.
“Obviously I don’t know how all of this looks and how it comes together. Just speaking from purely golf course perspective and kind of the magnitude of the events, I think those two are phenomenal events on the DP World.”
Rai names the biggest perk from winning the PGA Championship
Of course, this year has been a significant one for Rai, with the Englishman becoming a major champion after the PGA Championship at Aronimink.
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It was an outstanding performance from Rai, particularly on the back nine on Sunday in Philadelphia. And there will be plenty of rewards in the years to come now that he has won one of the game’s four biggest prizes.
He went on to explain what he believes to be the best perk of winning the PGA Championship.
“I think being able to play in the majors for a number of years and being able to plan around that, that’s huge. I’d say that’s probably the biggest thing,” he said.
“I really enjoy all the golf things that come with it, even next year being able to plan the schedule, just my whereabouts a little bit more. I’d say those are the two biggest things for me.”
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Having that stability feels particularly important given the uncertainty that is coming to the PGA Tour in the near future.
Rai knows that he will be in all of the biggest events for some time to come. It provides an ideal platform for the 31-year-old to build from.
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