Nine-time DP World Tour champion Bernd Wiesberger has openly criticized the PGA Tour’s growing influence. He reflected on the DP World Tour’s frustration over regular players’ limited access to marquee events like the BMW PGA Championship—a 40th-place finisher can now be shut out of Wentworth. Ahead of the event at Wentworth, the final Rolex Series event of the regular DP World Tour season, Wiesberger voiced major concerns about the strategic alliance between the two tours.
Speaking with bunkered.co.uk, the Austrian argued that the PGA Tour’s financial backing gives it major influence, with key DP World Tour decisions increasingly made in Ponte Vedra Beach rather than London:
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“It has a lot to do with economics and a lot to do with who pays for what. Right now, this tour gets subsidised heavily by the PGA Tour. So, in that case, they have a lot of say and a lot of leverage. But it has to be a balance.”
Wiesberger believes balancing U.S. backing with regional autonomy is crucial to preserving the DP World Tour’s independent identity. He further points out a growing power imbalance between the two circuits.
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“We have a couple of the big events, the Scottish Open is one, Wentworth is another. And it’s a little bit sad to see that if you finish 40th in our Order of Merit, you might not play the Scottish Open. If you finish 75th in Order of Merit, you might not play Wentworth, our PGA Championship. That wouldn’t happen the other way around.”
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Wiesberger adds that extensive exemptions and past winners’ categories leave fewer spots for active DP World Tour members who compete week in and week out.
“Obviously, we have a lot of people in the winning category, and that makes it difficult. But it’s not something that has gone the right way. I’m not sure how much there is to be done going forward, but it’s getting worse and worse each year.” Wiesberger’s comments came as the DP World Tour cut full tour cards from 110 to 100, leaving even powerful Order of Merit performers regularly shut out of flagship events.
Since 2022, the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open has drawn a significant U.S.-based contingent, reducing DP World Tour member slots.
Though not on the PGA Tour schedule, the BMW PGA Championship now draws dual members and FedEx Cup qualifiers, diluting DP World Tour member slots. Wiesberger explicitly laid out his expectations.
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“I’ve been out here for 20 years now, and, in the future, I’d like to see our guys have a tour that is sustainable and with the biggest events that are within reach for all of them.”
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour are planning a new global series from September into the new year, with up to nine DP World Tour events potentially launching as early as 2028.
Although Wiesberger supports closer cooperation, he wants DP World Tour members to remain the majority in its biggest events. He feels PGA Tour involvement has already gone too far in Scotland and Wentworth, crowding out regular European players.
To preserve DP World Tour identity, Wiesberger emphasizes the role of national opens, which allow players to represent their home countries and connect with local fans.
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The BMW PGA Championship runs from September 15–20 and will feature a $9 million prize purse. It will feature a star-studded field of DP World Tour members, major champions, and Ryder Cup stars, including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Shane Lowry.
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