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Invited this Monday, December 16 to answer questions from five players in French Golf – a licensee, a golf director, a journalist, a professional player, a greenkeeper – Pascal Grizot, the president of the French Golf Federation recently re-elected for a second mandate (2025-2028), spoke of the desire to create an event of international scope which would notably involve LIV Golf. But not the PGA Tour…
Freshly re-elected at the very beginning of December for a second term at the head of the French Golf Federation (FFG), Pascal Grizot responded this Monday, December 16 from Performance Center located at Golf National has Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (78) to questions from five golf players in France.
To that posed by our colleague from The Team, Romain Lefebvrerelating to the creation of a major tournament in France, apart from those which may exist on the PGA TourPascal Grizot was very clear. …
« This problem fascinates mehe immediately blurted out. When I see such waste, it makes me sick. Professional golf is in a bad situation. Anyone who doesn't agree with that is lying! I have a simple plan which is to say that the PGA Tour is perfectly legitimate to organize events in the United States, no one wants to question the leadership of the United States in world golf. But from the moment the United States does not wish, with its ally the DP World Tour, to organize major competitions outside the USA, the rest of the world must take charge. »
The merger of 4 circuits outside the United States
He thus wishes to create a second circuit where several circuits would merge such as the DP World Tourl’Asian Tourthe PGA Tour of Australasiathe Sunshine Tour but also the LIFE Golf.
We announced it to you a few weeks ago, Pascal Grizot met Greg Norman, the General Director of the dissident Tour financially supported by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, in order to submit this project to him.
« We must create an International Series, the equivalent of Signature Events on the PGA Tourcontinues Grizot. We must stop this fratricidal war. Why give world points to the Hero World Challenge, an invitational tournament, to only eighteen players? And why don't we give it to LIV players? Even if the LIV players must have a discount, since they play over three rounds, in a format which is also that of the team, with shot-gun starts.
If we do not strengthen the attractiveness of golf, consumers will look elsewhere.
Leave the alliance with the PGA Tour
It's very clear Pascal Grizot is very worried about the future of golf in a world where competition is exploding and where each sport is fighting for its media exposure.
He refuses to see our discipline become stuck in aging formats and the routine of immutable calendars.
According to him, there needs to be more porosity between the major circuits, and he no longer wants the current governing bodies to preside in this way over the destiny of the French Open or even other historic tournaments on the Old Continent.
“Apart from the four Major tournaments during the year, which attract a lot of people in front of their TV screen when there is a good line-up for Sunday, and we saw that sometimes it was even complicated for Major tournaments. If we do not strengthen the attractiveness of golf, consumers will look elsewhere. F1, basketball, it never stops progressing. I saw that there was going to be an NBA match relocated to Paris soon… What the Americans understood in basketball, they have not yet understood in golf… »
With Christophe Muniesa (General Director of the FFG), we have been asking for four years to be able to organize a tournament at the Golf National and share it with other countries. We don't have an answer…
« LIV is a new format that can attract new golfershe adds. We are impatiently awaiting a deal with the PGA Tour… For stories of ego, for stories that go a little beyond everyone, no one is capable of sitting around a table to find a solution that is not not good for the PGA Tour, not good for the European Tour but good for the game of golf. I say, let's start organizing ourselves outside the United States without being in conflict with them, and on the contrary being complementary… Look at the example of Signature Events. They are only played in the United States. With Christophe Muniesa (General Director of the FFG), We have been asking for four years to be able to organize a tournament at the Golf National and share it with other countries. We don't have an answer… »
The situation is not sustainable and audiences are falling by an average of 20%
On the sidelines of this meeting with these major players in French golf, Pascal Grizot also directly answered our questions on this creation of a circuit which would not include the PGA Tour.
« My role as Federation President is to speak with everyone and that includes LIV Golfhe emphasizes. I'm not being blamed for not having a Signature Event in France, there isn't one outside the United States but the FFgolf board is asking me why Spain has DPWT tournaments. (Spanish Open, Andalucia Masters) and a step from the LIV and not us. »
The man for the job?
The president of the French Golf Federation is ready to go into “fight”, to put his boundless energy at the service of this great cause.
The same thinking power that he deployed to obtain the organization of the Ryder Cup en France en 2018. He wants to move the lines before it is too late.
We therefore understand that he has difficulty seeing the fact that the DP World Tour finds itself tied hand and foot in an alliance with the PGA Tour.
His character, his network, his knowledge of the environment could allow him to accomplish this incredible feat which consists of building a new entity capable of coexisting with the PGA Tour and the LIV.
« When I talk about it to influential sponsors, potential sponsors or TV channel bosses, they agree with me. The situation is not sustainable and audiences are falling by an average of 20%he continues by way of conclusion. I don't want to do anything against the PGA Tour, on the contrary, we will have to work together on a complementary calendar. And if LIV Golf signs an agreement with the PGA tour, that’s good news. But the LIV should also support the International Tour. For me, the LIV must be on both sides of the Atlantic… »
