European Tour denies reports of takeover by US PGA

Reports that the US PGA Tour plans to buy the European Tour have been denied by the Wentworth-based body.

It has been suggested that the American circuit wants to take advantage of the Eurozone economic crisis with a bid to take control of the European Tour.

Such a move would give the PGA Tour a share of the Ryder Cup and would help its desire to claim a bigger stake in the booming Chinese golf market.

Keith Waters of the European Tour described the reports as "incorrect".

In the current economic climate, the European Tour, which hosts events throughout the world, has struggled to compete with its US counterparts.

Despite it being the height of the golf season, there have been no full events on the continent for the last three weeks.

Ryder Cup star Paul Casey, who is a member of the European Tour's tournament committee, told The Daily Telegraph: "There are so many good things about the European Tour and it can be such an unbelievable product given the places we go to and the players we have.

"But we are so far from maximising what we have and we need to freshen things up."

In response to the takeover claims, Waters, the chief operating officer of the European Tour, said: "The golf market in Europe is significantly smaller than in the United States.

"Hence the European Tour's expansive policies throughout the world over the past 16 years, which includes co-operation with the US PGA Tour in the World Golf Championships arena.

"However, the notion that the US PGA Tour is somehow bidding to buy the European Tour is incorrect."

PGA Tour communications chief Ty Votaw said: "We don't have any comment on these stories."