Canadian Keith Pelley became the fourth Chief Executive in the history of the European Tour on Monday August 3, 2015.
During his tenure, Keith has overseen a period of significant evolution and modernisation underlined by the Tour’s brand refresh, which uses the strapline Driving Golf Further, emphasising the Tour’s guiding principles of being innovative, inclusive and global. This has included the creation of award-winning content, pioneering formats such as GolfSixes and the Hero Challenge, and the use of the latest technology and inventive fan engagement, including the launch of golf’s first esports series, the European eTour. Keith has also overseen a closer collaboration with the women’s game, including co-sanctioned events such as the Scandinavia Mixed and Vic Open, and the introduction of the ground-breaking Golfers with Disability programme in conjunction with the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA), which he is a board member of.
In 2017, the European Tour introduced the transformational Rolex Series, the premium event category on the European Tour’s International Schedule, comprising four tournaments staged in a variety of world-class golfing locations around the world, each with a minimum prize fund of US$7 million. It has been described as one of the most important initiatives in the Tour’s history.
In November 2020, a Strategic Alliance was announced between the European Tour and the PGA TOUR, with the latter taking minority investment in European Tour Productions. The landmark agreement will see golf’s two major Tours explore all facets of collaboration, working together on strategic commercial opportunities including collaborating on global media rights in certain territories plus global scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities for the respective memberships.
The European Tour also manages the developmental Challenge Tour and the Legends Tour, formerly the Senior Tour which secured Staysure as the first title partner in its history in 2018. It is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, The Ryder Cup, with the 2018 edition at Le Golf National the most successful to be held on European soil.
Prior to joining The European Tour, Keith was President of Rogers Media in Toronto where he was responsible for leading the overall operations of the company’s diverse portfolio, including Television, Radio, Publishing, Digital Media, The Shopping Channel, subscription-based content services, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rogers Centre. Before that, he was Executive Vice-President of Strategic Planning at CTVglobemedia, President of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium – which won a record seven awards for its coverage of Vancouver 2010 – President and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, and President of The Sports Network in Canada, a company he first joined as an Editorial Assistant in 1986.
He is a graduate of Ryerson University with a BA in Radio and Television Arts, and also received an ATCL diploma from Trinity College in London