“It is a privilege and a great responsibility”. This is how Guy Kinnings has begun defining his journey on his first official day at the helm of the DP World Tour. Get used to that name because from today it becomes one of the threads that moves world golf.
Last Friday, Keith Pelley’s resignation was made firm and today the new CEO of the European Circuit has introduced himself to society in a video in which he wanted to address the members and employees of the tour. The tumultuous moment that golf is going through puts a great responsibility on Kinnings’ shoulders. With this transfer of power, the Englishman becomes the fifth Executive Director of the European Tour Group, after John Jacobs (1972-1975), Ken Schofield (1975 – 2004), George O’Grady (2005-2015) and Keith Pelley (2015-2024). The European circuit has published a synopsis with the professional journey of Pelley’s successor.
Who is Guy Kinnings?
Graduated in Law from the University of Oxford, he left the Freshfields firm to join the legal team of IMG in London in 1989 and moved to its golf division in 1991, where he worked with some of the world’s leading professional players.
He later became Senior International Vice President and Global Golf Director of IMG, directing the company’s global golf business, which includes both clients and events, and managing its key relationships with all governing bodies and brands related to this sport.
He joined the European Tour Group before the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in France and, as Executive Director – Ryder Cup, he has overseen the growth of the biennial competition’s Worldwide Partner programme.
Kinnings was also the person in charge of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, the most successful edition held in Europe, in which Luke Donald’s European team defeated the United States by 16½-11½ at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
As Deputy Executive Director and Commercial Director, he has also overseen the growth of the Tour’s commercial operations.
Along with the Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team, he helped secure the Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR in 2020, which has helped increase the prize funds of the DP World Tour to record levels. He was also instrumental in the pioneering agreement for DP World to become the main partner of the Tour at the beginning of the 2022 season.
