Ever watch a golf broadcast and wonder why one week a top player is battling it out in Ohio, and the next they're teeing it up in Scotland? The short answer is yes, golfers absolutely can play on multiple professional tours. But navigating this path is a strategic juggling act involving special memberships, minimum event requirements, and a fair bit of international politics. This article will break down exactly how players manage to compete across the globe on different tours, and what that landscape looks like today.
At its core, a professional golfer's ability to play on both the PGA Tour (primarily based in North America) and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) comes down to a simple concept: dual membership. By earning and maintaining status on both tours, players unlock a global schedule, opening the door to the biggest tournaments, the most world-ranking points, and the largest prize funds.
However, it’s far from a free-for-all. Each tour is like a club with its own set of rules and expectations. Players must satisfy the obligations of both memberships to avoid losing their playing privileges. It’s a delicate balance of scheduling, travel, and performance that only a small percentage of the world's elite players can successfully manage.
Before we get into the juggling act, it’s important to understand what being a "member" of a tour really means. It's not just a card you carry in your wallet, it's a commitment that comes with both significant perks and serious responsibilities.
Earning a PGA Tour card is one of the toughest achievements in sports. Most players get there through:
Once you have a card, you get access to the majority of the PGA Tour's full-field events and can compete for the FedEx Cup. To keep that card for the following season, a player must fulfill their Minimum Tournament Obligation, which is typically 15 starts. If a member fails to play in 15 events, they can lose their status for the next year unless they have a valid exemption (like a major medical). This 15-event rule is the anchor that moors players to the PGA Tour schedule.
The path to the DP World Tour is similar, primarily through its own developmental tour and Q-School:
A DP World Tour membership grants access to a slate of incredible tournaments across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with players competing in the season-long "Race to Dubai." The membership requirements are slightly different. While there are minimums, the focus is often on playing a certain number of exclusive DP World Tour events (those that aren't also sanctioned by the PGA Tour Majors or World Golf Championships).
So how does a player like Shane Lowry or Tommy Fleetwood - who hold membership on both tours - make it work? It's a year-long strategic puzzle.
A dual member's schedule begins with the immovable pillars of the golf calendar:
These events offer the most prize money and, more importantly, the most Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. OWGR points are the an athlete's ticket - good performance in these events is essential for staying among the world's top 50, which guarantees entry into most of the biggest tournaments. These pillar events count toward the minimum requirements on both tours, making them incredibly efficient for a dual member.
After blocking out the majors and WGCs (about 5-6 events), the player needs to find another ~9-10 starts to reach the PGA Tour's 15-event minimum. They'll fill their schedule with premiere PGA Tour events like the Genesis Invitational, the Memorial Tournament, and the FedEx Cup Playoff events. This forms the bulk of their playing year.
Here's where it gets tricky. What happens if a player wants to play in a DP World Tour event, like the Dubai Desert Classic, but there's a PGA Tour event happening that same week? This is called a "conflicting event."
In this situation, the PGA Tour member must apply for a Conflicting Event Release.Essentially, they are asking The Tour for formal permission to go and play on a different tour that week. Historically, the PGA Tour has granted its members up to three of these releases per season, allowing them to support their "home" tour or fulfill sponsorship obligations abroad. This rule is the ultimate gatekeeper, giving the PGA Tour control over where and when its members compete.
For decades, the system of dual membership between the PGA and DP World Tours worked relatively smoothly. Then, in 2022, LIV Golf arrived and fundamentally challenged the established structure.
LIV operates on a different model with smaller fields, no cuts, guaranteed contracts, and a team component. Many high-profile players who were members of the PGA and/or DP World Tours decided to join. They attempted to use the "Conflicting Event Release" process, but the PGA and DP World Tours denied these requests.
The decision to play in LIV events without a release resulted in trailblazing players being suspended from their established tours. This created a major schism in professional golf, with an ongoing power struggle between the competing circuits. While there has been talk of a "framework agreement" to unify the game, the path for players to compete across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf remains highly uncertain and legally complex. For now, players have largely been forced to choose which circuit they will call home.
With all the travel, scheduling stress, and politics involved, why would a player want to be a member of more than one tour?
So, can golfers play on both tours? Yes, and for decades, top players have masterfully balanced schedules between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to chase a global career. However, the game's landscape has been seismically altered, making the path for competing on multiple professional circuits more fractured and complex than ever before.
While navigating the logistical puzzle of the pro tours is a a tough task for the world's best, making smart strategic decisions on the course shouldn't have to be for you. We built Caddie AI to put that pro-level strategic insight right in your pocket. Instead of second-guessing a club choice or wondering how to play that scary shot from the trees, you get clear, instant advice tailored to your situation. Our goal is to take the guesswork out of your game strategy so you can play with more confidence and focus on simply hitting the shot.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
