World league a concern for PGA Tour: Scott

Adam Scott believes the US PGA Tour "should be concerned" with a cashed-up world tour, which he says has the potential to transform golf in a similar fashion to World Series Cricket.

Scott threw his support behind the Premier Golf League (PGL), which has been proposed to begin in 2022.

It would feature 48 of golf's biggest stars playing 18 tournaments a year, each with a prize purse of $US10 million ($A15 million).

The merit behind the PGL is that organisers could guarantee to sponsors that the top 48 players would contest each event, which is something the US PGA Tour cannot offer.

That is because golfers are independent contractors to the US Tour.

"I think the concept is obviously very, very good," Scott said at Riviera Country Club on Friday (Saturday AEDT).

The PGL - which has been proposed by British-based World Golf Group and reportedly backed by Saudi Arabian financiers - has already raised alarms with the US and European tours.

US commissioner Jay Monahan has addressed the upstart league with PGA Tour players on several occasions, most recently in an email two weeks ago.

"I thought maybe that would be what you'd expect if you are slightly threatened by the possibility of this tour," Scott said of Monahan's email.

Scott says the PGL should be taken seriously.

"I think the concept is good; it is really no different to what the PGA Tour tries to do by getting the top players together more often, like with the FedEx Cup (post season) and originally the world golf championships," Scott said.

"I think the (US PGA Tour) would be concerned because they (the PGL) are not messing around."

Ten of the PGL events would be held in the United States while the Australian Open has been earmarked as one of eight overseas fixtures.

Sources recently told AAP the WGG held discussions with Australian Open organisers, given the British company wants to acquire some events rather than create 18 new tournaments.

"As an international player I certainly see some good in (a world tour)," he said.

Scott, a 12-time US Tour winner, said it could mimic break-away attempts in cricket; initially disruptive but ultimately a collaboration.

"I compare it a lot to (World Series) cricket starting; Kerry Packer did the exact same kind of thing this world tour is trying to do," Scott said.

"He removed players from the traditional bodies and they left.

"Everyone went to watch the best players play even at local grounds (because the new league was shut out of traditional cricket venues).

"But eventually, they collaborated together and (limited overs) cricket was incredibly successful for a long time."

Whether the PGL is feasible remains to be seen on an already-crowded calendar.

US Tour players must seek a "release" from the commissioner each time they want to play an event outside their home tour.

There is also the issue of whether PGL events would be awarded world ranking points, which is an avenue for golfers to be exempt for the four majors and World Golf Championships.

For that reason, Scott believes the PGL may need help.

"Ultimately, you would expect there to be some kind of cooperation (from established tours) if it were to go ahead. You could see that happening, I think," he said.

A world tour was famously proposed by Greg Norman in the early 1990s but was shut down by the US PGA Tour under then-commissioner Tim Finchem.

The World Golf Championships (WGCs) were then launched in 1999 and have remained rich events on golf's international schedule.