Spuzz
Thanks for the insider take. Most people had never heard of the guy before he took the reins, I know I hadn't anyway.
The notion of approaching the challenges facing the European Tour from an entirely different lens is certainly plausible. It also causes me to ponder the idea that perhaps Pelley's Canadian background might help him potentially expand the Euro tour into Canada, which quite frankly might be an idea worth considering given the state of things at the moment.
I'm not overly familiar with the Canadian Tour, so I don't know their financials or to what lengths they would consider a potential merger or partnership of some sort, but here's the situation that no one seems too eager to talk about - the potential for terrorism to encroach further into western Europe. There were a handful of players last week, namely McIlroy and Reed, who withdrew from the event in Turkey because of safety concerns. Now the argument could obviously be made, "hey - look at Dubai... middle eastern country, but no issues whatsoever with safety and security there." That's true, but on that same token their government is incredibly stable and very much reliant on tourism revenue. They cater primarily to European vacationers and expatriates, they know which side of their bread is buttered and by whom. They're not going to compromise that relationship with westerners because (a) their country is actually more westernized than some countries in Europe itself, and (b) they have generally been void of belligerents and extremists for all the reasons mentioned.
So Pelley is faced with a very challenging dynamic as it relates to what is becoming a more limited area of expansion within Europe, which naturally limits opportunities within the continent to expand and grow.
The other dynamic is obviously the overall economic situation in Europe, which is still struggling to rebound from the recession from 8 years ago. Governments are struggling with mounting debt problems, suddenly forced to manage considerable levels of austerity measures as a result, and that has definitely impacted economic growth and long-term financial stability for even the bigger corporations. Once you get outside of London - the economic landscape is far different. Finding corporations willing to let go of $8-$10 million in revenue isn't easy... finding them in reasonably convenient and infrastructural-ready geographical locations makes it that much harder.
When Michael Whan took over the LPGA back in 2009, he approached the challenges from more of a business standpoint. Of course - his tour was centered in an area of the world where the global recession, while still indeed very unstable, had the infrastructural means to better manage the situation in the short term. In other words - he still had something to work with. As well, it didn't exactly hurt his outlook that a lot of young talent was on the verge of turning pro and making his brand more marketable, and there were no geographical limits being placed upon him that would significantly impede his ability to expand his product. And it goes without saying that he didn't have to concern himself with competing against a very strong international tour a mere 6-hour plane ride away. Whan did a phenomenal job, but on that same token - he wasn't dealing with so many things beyond his control.
Pelley definitely doesn't have that same luxury. His goal is to grow and expand his tour, build more long-term sponsorships and increase purses, and at the moment with the economy and all of the other dynamics in play - his hands are tied as it relates to building a bigger brand in Europe. That could perhaps change down the road when/if the European economy returns, but for now - Canada might be the only option he has. But even at that - he will have to convince his players that an occasional redeye to the Canadian provinces is better than nothing.