New PGA Tour CEO addresses LIV Golf deal
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There’s a new man at the helm of the PGA Tour. High on his agenda? The framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund. Here’s what he has to say about it on his first day in the job…
It is, with little doubt, the biggest challenge facing incoming PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
Rolapp takes on the role after 22 years at the NFL and will replace current commissioner Jay Monahan, who will leave his role at the end of the 2026 season.
So it was inevitable that the relationship between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf was going to be one of the first questions asked in his introduction to the world’s media in his new role at this week’s Travelers Championship.
When addressing the level of priority surrounding the fractured nature of the men’s game, Rolapp said he is “coming in with a pretty clean sheet of paper”.
He added: “I also come in knowing that there’s a lot to learn. Everything that works in the football world may not work in the golf world.
“When it comes to that situation particularly, I think the fans have been pretty clear. They want to see the best golfers competing against each other. I think everybody as a golf fan. I agree with that.
“When it comes to the situation with LIV, I think that’s a complex situation that’s probably something I should learn more about before I speak. But I will say my focus is on growing the Tour, making it better, and really moving on from the position of strength that it has.”
When pushed about whether or not the PGA Tour can go on without a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV Golf, Rolapp explained that he is “not close enough to any of those discussions” to make a decision just yet.
He added: “But I will say what I see regardless of that is a very strong Tour. I see a strong product. I see strong golfers. I think the Signature Events have been a huge and important progression in the sport. So I see strength in that. Don’t just take my word for it, look at the underlying fundamentals; they’re strong.
“I think that really speaks to some of the changes that have been made in the last few years.”
It will certainly be interesting to see how he tackles things differently to his predecessor.
New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp on…
…his background in golf: “My first job in high school I worked at the turn at Congressional Country Club. That’s where I got gas money. So that’s how I was actually introduced to the game, on employee day actually learning to play golf. In high school I skipped quite a bit of classes in college playing, and then career and family started, and I took a long time off from the game because my career, my family got in the way in a bit, but I’ve taken it up in recent years. I have four children. Three of my boys love to play. I really love being out there with them. There’s very few times when you get four hours with your kids, and I don’t know if they like it because they get lots of questions. So I play. I probably play maybe five to ten rounds a year. Not as much as I would like to.”
…his handicap: “Listen, if I told you – in fact, I’m not going to tell you. It’s going to be classified. There’s a reason I didn’t put it in. I will say you would have to ask the board and search committee. No one hired me for my golf game here. That’s not my job. My job is to do other things. But I’m a big fan of the sport.”
…Tiger Woods’ role on the PGA Tour board: “In my limited experience here, that’s been both through the process and through the board discussion we’ve had this week, I think I would classify Tiger’s influence as significant. He works hard. He’s smart. He’s dedicated. I would say that about Tiger and all these player representatives and other board members, they work really hard and they care a lot. I think the amount of time and work they’re putting into this and rethinking this has been very impressive to me, and I think I would point out Tiger specifically. He certainly cares about the game. I won’t speak for him. He can speak for himself. But from what I’ve seen, the amount of time and dedication and work he’s putting into this is — he’s driving — doing this for, not his legacy necessarily, but he’s doing it for the benefit of the next generation of players, and that comes through significantly.”
…what he can bring to golf from the NFL: “There’s three things. One is you relentlessly focus on the game, getting the competition right, getting the highest level of competition is extremely important. That’s something we obsessed about. Second is finding the right partners. That’s not only sponsors, but media partners could help grow the game [and] distribute the game, reach as many fans as possible. That’s something we’ll look at. And third is a constant mindset of innovation. You have to change. We’re going to honor tradition, but we’re not going to be unnecessarily bound by it, and where it makes sense to change, we’re going to do that. I think that’s something to take from my previous experience that I’m excited to apply here.”
…the PGA Tour’s potential for growth: “From a macro standpoint, there is short-term and long-term growth. If you look at sports in general, it’s clearly some of the most valuable intellectual property in media and sports and anywhere. People love sports. That has not changed. When you look at golf specifically, it is truly a global sport. I think the participation in the game has increased. It’s been increasing since Covid significantly. People love the sport and they play the sport. That’s unique. I think that translates to all sorts of opportunity in the long-term. You look at the strength and the television ratings that I see, that people love the PGA Tour, they love the competition, especially when the best players are in the field. I think those are all strengths to build on. We’re going to look at it with a clean sheet of paper, but there’s opportunity to engage fans better at events. So all of that will work together for a lot of growth, I think, both short-term and long-term.”
