Five Family Fun: Premier Series Details Emerge

On the eve of the PGA Championship--albeit one that lands earlier than normal and which will take a few days of golf to get excited about--details of the European Tour's long-rumored Premier Series are emerging.

Chief Exec Keith Pelley's concept of a world tour/answer to the PGA Tour will be a select group of events with a presenting sponsor, reports Golfweek's Alex Miceli.

The Premier Series, the brainchild of Tour chief executive Keith Pelley, was created to stem the flood of veteran talent to the PGA Tour and keep younger European players focused on their home tour.

The plan focuses on certain parts of the schedule with increased purses, not to just compete directly with opposite PGA Tour events but also to emphasize certain times of the year on the European Tour.

With the first phase of the series to be announced at the British Masters in mid-October, the Tour intends to implement the program over the next two or three years. The Premier Series would consist of 10 tournaments in 2018 and 12 events in 2019.

Your turn Commissioner Finchem!

Irish Open To Portstewart Sets Up Three-Week Links Season

The Open and the Scottish Open are being joined by the Irish Open, it was announced today.

Brian Keogh with the details on Portstewart landing the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, hosted by the Rory Foundation.

The July 6-9, 2017 dates mean three weeks of links golf next summer, with a pair of tune-up options for players.

Scottish Open v. Irish Open? And Other Fun Power Plays

While the headline notes that the Scottish Open is considering a Saturday finish to avoid the Wimbledon final--wise since it was totally lost in the news cycle here after Andy Murray's win--Martin Dempster also looks at the future of this championship through the eyes of Aberdeen Asset Management's Martin Gilbert.

Besides some of the courses being considered (Kingsbarns, Gullane, Royal Aberdeen but no Trump International), this was fun and may explain why we wont' see Rory at the Scottish for some time.

With Rory McIlroy as its host and Dubai Duty Free as sponsor, the Irish Open is eyeing a prime summer slot, but Gilbert, who has been instrumental in Aberdeen Asset Management pumping more than £10 million into Scottish golf over the past few years, is adamant that won’t be the one before the Open Championship for the foreseeable future.

“I’m sure he would,” he replied to being told that McIlroy had his eye on the Scottish Open slot. “But, as Keith Pelley said, we are tied in to this date until 2020, so no matter what Rory says...and this is a better tournament than the Irish Open, I can tell you.”

Fighting words!

Thru Two Rounds: Catching Up On The Scottish Open

Seems it was an interesting two days here at Castle Stuart, where the wind pushed the boundaries of sanity, prompting the European Tour to issue an apology for not setting the course up appropriately, reports Golfweek's Alex Miceli.

He also notes Phil Mickelson's Friday charge to make the cut and set himself up for a run this weekend. Mickelson is paired with Henrik Stenson for Saturday's third round. Alex Noren leads, with Danny Lee one back.

Golf Channel and NBC coverage times are here.

Ill be out watching some golf and chatting with Morning Drive's Damon Hack at 8:15 am ET.

Monty Questions Olympic, BMW Defectors

Alex Miceli reports on the comments by Colin Montgomerie as he prepares to defend his Senior PGA in Michigan.

On the Olympics:

“I think that, to take the opportunity is golden in every way,” Montgomerie said Wednesday, on the eve of his title defense at the Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in southwest Michigan. “What we did to try and get the Olympic, golf in the Olympics, I can’t understand why some people have said that it’s not for them. I really can’t.”

And this will please European Tour chief Pelley:

“I’m surprised that a number of top Europeans aren’t playing,” Montgomerie said. “Not many, if any, don’t compete at the TPC at Sawgrass (site of the recent Players Championship). And I really, for the life of me, I don’t understand why top Europeans – probable possible Ryder Cup players, whatever, this year especially – aren’t competing at Wentworth. I don’t understand that.”