The PGA Tour will soon be making “significant changes” to how it looks and operates, according to new CEO Brian Rolapp. Golf legend Tiger Woods will also play a significant role in directing those changes.
What changes are coming to the PGA Tour?
Rolapp made the announcement just three weeks into his tenure from East Lake Golf Club and a day before the Tour Championship, the final event of the season.
“The goal is not incremental change,” Rolapp said. ”The goal is significant change.”
To initiate that change, Rolapp has formed a nine-person “future competition committee” that will be led by the 15-time major champion, Woods.
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The committee’s goal is to upgrade the model by which the PGA Tour operates. Rolapp said the committee will be given a “clean sheet” to honor the traditions of the game without being overly bound by them. The goal is to increase fan engagement and tournaments that bring together the world’s best players more frequently.
“The sports business is not that complicated,” Rolapp said. “You get the product right, you get the right partners, your fans will reward you with their time because they’re telling you it’s good and they want more of it.”
What was Tiger’s response?
Woods was not in attendance on Wednesday, but posted his thanks on social media.
“Honored to serve as Chairman of the Future Competition Committee,” Woods said. “This is about shaping the next era of the PGA TOUR — for our fans, players and partners. Thanks to Brian Rolapp for his vision and leadership, and grateful to the committee members for their willingness to participate.”
Joining Woods on the committee are players Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Camilo Villegas, and Maverick McNealy. Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and his former general manager-turned-advisor, Theo Epstein, are also members. Epstein was instrumental in introducing the pitch clock and other rule changes to Major League Baseball while serving as a consultant, and he built a reputation as a turnaround artist with both the Red Sox and Chicago Cubs.
Who is Brian Rolapp?
Rolapp spent 22 years working at the NFL and was considered by many to be commissioner Roger Goodell’s eventual successor. He was hired as the PGA Tour’s first CEO on June 17 and said he will lean into his NFL experience.
“We did not sit still, and we changed the rules every March,” Rolapp said. ”We changed the kickoff rule. That’s what I mean by honoring tradition but not being bound by it. I think that level of innovation is what we’re going to do here, and that’s one lesson I’ve learned.”
Will Rolapp push for reunification with LIV golfers?
Rolapp did not agree with the idea that the changes coming to the Tour’s model were sparked by competition from LIV golf, which features team competition, shotgun starts and loud music. He bristled when asked if reuniting the rival tours was a priority. He has not yet spoken to anyone from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV.
“The best collection of golfers in the world are on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I think there’s a bunch of metrics that demonstrate that, from rankings to viewership to whatever you want to pick. I’m going to lean into that and strengthen that.”
Outgoing PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Woods, and Adam Scott met with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in February at the White House, but the two sides couldn’t come to a reunification deal. President Donald Trump has also been involved in the talks.
“I think my primary focus is going to be on strengthening the tour, and blank sheet of paper means blank sheet of paper,” Rolapp said. “Whatever does that, I’ll pursue aggressively. That’s how I view it.”
Rolapp said the committee has yet to meet, but they will get to work as soon as possible. The 2026 PGA Tour season begins with The Sentry Tournament on Jan. 8 in Hawaii.
