SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — The European Tour announced a change to its schedule that might seem small but is the beginning of a major structural move that the tour will announce later this year.
The 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by Rory McIlroy was moved to two weeks before the British Open, creating a three-week links swing that will be part of an eight-tournament run with the working title of Premier Series.
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.