Just three weeks into his tenure, new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has outlined ambitious plans to overhaul the tour’s competitive model. Speaking at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, Rolapp announced the formation of a nine-member Future Competition Committee, which will be chaired by 15-time major champion Tiger Woods.
The committee has been tasked with reimagining the structure of professional golf to better serve fans, players, and partners. Its work will focus on principles of parity, scarcity, and simplicity, with a “clean sheet” approach intended to honor golf’s traditions while allowing for modern innovation.
Among its goals are strengthening the merit-based structure of the tour, creating more opportunities for top players to compete against each other, and enhancing the connection between the regular season and postseason.
In addition to Woods, the committee includes PGA Tour players Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, Maverick McNealy, and Keith Mitchell, along with business leaders Joe Gorder, John Henry, and Theo Epstein. Epstein, who helped reshape Major League Baseball with innovations such as the pitch clock, was chosen to bring an outside perspective on sports competition.
Rolapp, who spent more than two decades at the NFL, emphasized the importance of innovation in maintaining fan engagement and commercial success. He noted that professional sports thrive when their products evolve to meet the expectations of players and audiences alike.
The CEO also addressed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the PGA Tour’s relationship with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial backer of rival LIV Golf. Although the two sides signed a framework agreement in June 2023 to form an alliance, no deal has been reached and there has been little recent communication. Rolapp said his focus remains on strengthening the tour, leaving open the possibility of collaboration if it supports that mission.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour confirmed it will return to Trump National Doral in Miami next May for the first time since 2016, hosting a $20 million signature event. The move signals a renewed embrace of a venue with a long tour history.
Rolapp, hired as the PGA Tour’s first-ever CEO in June, has been described by players as a fresh voice with the potential to accelerate change. Early impressions suggest he is prepared to move quickly, with Woods and the new committee playing central roles in shaping the next era of professional golf.
