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‘Really, Really in Distress’: DP World Tour’s Past Financial Crisis Leaves PGA Tour To Still Pick Up the Tab

The PGA Tour’s financial support for the DP World Tour—officially the PGA European Tour—has deepened amid lingering struggles for its European counterpart. Despite a strategic alliance signed in late 2020 and expanded in 2022, the DP World Tour remains dependent on annual payments from the PGA Tour, which totaled over $77 million in 2025—a sharp increase from the $28 million transferred in 2024.

These funds, labeled as Annual Investment Payments (AIP), helped the DP World Tour set a record prize money pool of $153 million last year, though the tour still operates at a loss, with revenue dropping from $469.9 million in 2024 to $457.7 million in 2025. The PGA Tour’s investment is partly strategic, aimed at countering the rise of LIV Golf, while also securing a growing stake in European Tour Productions, set to reach 40% by 2027.

The alliance has also elevated the DP World Tour’s profile, attracting top players and co-sanctioned events with the PGA Tour, though its financial model remains less robust than its American counterpart, which relies heavily on sponsorships and media rights to cover purses and operational costs.

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