Initially, there appeared to be potential upside in Europe, but it has yet to materialize.
Hopes that big names from the US tour would venture across the pond to add stardust to events such as the Dunhill and BMW PGAs and the Irish and French Opens proved unfounded.
While DP World Tour stalwart Billy Horschel came to Wentworth for the second time last month and came away victorious, he was a rare exception. We don’t see American enthusiasm in any other famous person.
Yes, the recent PGA of America drew big crowds, but they didn't see Peter Malnati and Mark Hubbard – the next two to dig out America's most famous golfer with a dusty passport.
By contrast, last week's invitation from Dunhill and its formidable event boss South African Johan Rupert brought in a whole lot of stardust from the rival LIV Tour.
Among the 14 LIV golfers participating in this glorious pro-am event are former world number one and Masters champion Jon Rahm, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka and 2018 Augusta champion Patrick Reed.
This is the kind of star power the DP World Tour craves to complement the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, who provide the European Tour with the best at this time of year. crucial support.
Rupert also designed it so that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) president Yasir Al-Rumayyan could play and compete together as amateurs .
DP World Tour boss Guy Kinnings was also present. As a result, there is considerable scope for ongoing negotiations to allow further Saudi investment in golf and potentially agree a more harmonious future.
There is no doubt that Kinnings’ place in all this is underpinned by the quality of the professional field.
Imagine how this could play out; LIV stars – including U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau – regularly compete on the DP World Tour and earn world ranking points that have propelled Hatton back into the top 20 in the world.
How about an influx of Saudi investment into Wentworth in return? Hatton, Philipp Lahm and Adrian Meronc's appeals against fines for not posting LIV events could be quietly withdrawn.
Some may be reluctant to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia, but Europe Tour has never had a problem doing business with Saudi Arabia, despite the country's controversial reputation for human rights.
Money can make a difference: “Guys, hold your noses, we're going in. This is too good to pass up.”
Like it or not, when money is the driving factor, ethics take a back seat. That's why, some critics argue, the Saudis feel it's worth throwing water on the table for “sporting shuffle” purposes.
There is a future for Kinnings' tour if they can buy out of the strategic alliance, which could bring in more money, more big-name players, and possibly more of sponsorship.
McIlroy said last week that he found the European Tour to be “more authentic and less corporate than in the United States,” adding that “the crowds at the Irish Open and Wentworth were better than at the three FedEx Cup play-offs. more, and the atmosphere is better.”
The European Tour could revert to being a competitor to the PGA Tour rather than a partner, especially if currently stale negotiations continue to falter or the deal fails to pass muster with the U.S. Department of Justice.
“It could bring the European Tour back to like it was in the '80s and '90s, when there were two strong tours,” McIlroy said when I asked him recently about the prospect of Saudi Arabia breaking away from its agreement with the continental tour.
“But it would make the game fragmented, and I don't like that. You know, I really want the game to get back together. That would be Plan B. That would be an alternative to the best solution.”
McIlroy's vision is to integrate the sport with the global calendar to benefit everyone. He told BBC Northern Ireland last week he hoped to have the work completed by the end of the year.
There is impatience.
It's been 17 months since the shock announcement of the “Framework Agreement”, which was prematurely described as a merger between the PGA and DP World Tour and LIV.
There has been little progress other than the formation of the for-profit umbrella company PGA Tour Enterprises, which has secured $1.5bn (£1.15bn) in funding from US sports venture capitalist Strategy Sports Group.
The SSG is thought to want a deal with Saudi Arabia as soon as possible. This may also be suitable for PIF and LIV players who want to know what the long-term future of their track holds.
The DP World Tour is increasingly keen to learn more about the prospects of the men's professional game. But does the PGA Tour feel the same urgency?
They secured a lucrative television contract for the remainder of the decade, sponsors were in place and had the unwavering backing of FedEx, a season-long backer.
Might they just want to buy time and see how LIV reacts when the contracts of their initial batch of players start to expire? Will Saudi Arabia continue sending massive oil-soaked checks to select top PGA Tour players? Who knows?
Monaghan, along with influential board members like Patrick Cantlay and Tiger Woods, may want to wait and see. That could further frustrate a fragile peace process aimed at ending an increasingly tedious standoff.
But Dunhill showed there is a potential alternative path to the DP World Tour that could at least provide Kinnings with some leverage to get Monaghan and co up to speed.
As early as the 19th century, Old Tom was the most important pioneer of golf. He helped make St. Andrews the undisputed “Home of Golf,” but Morris Sr.'s influence spread far and wide. He did – in LIV's popular phrase – “grow the game.”
Maybe, just maybe, the arrival of his long-awaited statue coincides with the next big step his movement will take.
