The PGA: "If there is any matter than needs to be resolved, it is between the organisation and its members, not for public consumption"
The PGA has its headquarters at The Belfry (above)
The PGA has refused to discuss the fallout in the Irish Region over the change in the status of those in the Tournament Player category.
Liam Greasley, Director of Regions and Membership at the Professional Golfers' Association said: "If there is any matter than needs [to be] resolved it is between the organisation and its members, not for public consumption."
Many PGA members in the Irish Region are believed to be upset that the PGA has decided that players in the TP1, 2 or 3 Category are being allowed to count in the final Order of Merit in the Irish Region, contrary to their usual rules.
With the Top-3 in this year's Order of Merit all holding TP category membership - Irish PGA winner Niall Kearney, 2013 champion Michael McGeady and former Challenge Tour winner Colm Moriarty — all three have been informed that they are eligible to play in the Titleist PGA Playoffs in Turkey later this year.
Normally, TP Category players can win prize money are removed from the Order of Merit. However, this change means that the three players in question could well be eligible to play in next year's Irish Open as part of the Irish Region's allocation of eight qualifiers from the money list.
The decision has met with an angry response from many PGA members but neither the Irish Region, the PGA at The Belfry nor any of the leading members of the Irish Region committee are willing to speak publicly just yet.
A meeting of the South Branch of the Irish Region is expected to be held soon with calls likely to be made for an EGM of the entire Irish Region.
When speaking to The Herald in Scotland about the rejuvenation of the Tartan Tour in Scotland last year, Mr Greasley said: "To a certain extent we need to re-launch it [the Tartan Tour], give it a bit of enthusiasm and bring some new people to the party."
Whether he was talking of a new category of golfer is unclear but any efforts to rejuvenate the Irish Region's circuit are certainly worthy of study.
