New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp is wasting no time putting his stamp on the organization.
Just 90 days into the job, and the ex-NFL executive is already reshaping the Tour’s leadership, strategy and voice, starting with two key hires from outside the golf bubble.
This week, Rolapp appointed Dhruv Prasad as chief commercial officer and Paul Hicks as executive vice president of strategic communications and public policy. Both are former NFL executives, handpicked to help drive what Rolapp calls a “holistic relook” at how the PGA Tour operates.
“Since Day 1, I have been committed to taking the steps necessary to achieve sustainable success for the PGA Tour,” Rolapp shared during the announcement. “During my first 90 days in the role, we have identified opportunities to further integrate our teams and add new capabilities to accelerate our growth, for the benefit of our fans, players and partners.”
Prasad, who served as SVP of business development and strategic investments at the NFL, will now lead the Tour’s corporate partnerships, media business development and broadcasting. Hicks, who held the same EVP title at the NFL from 2010 to 2015, returns to familiar territory after a decade at global communications firm FGS Global.
The new PGA Tour CEO emphasized that these hires are part of a broader effort to modernize the Tour’s structure.
But the revamp didn’t stop there.
As part of the reshuffle, Andy Weitz has been promoted to chief marketing officer, while Neera Shetty, a longtime member of the Tour’s legal team, will temporarily oversee administrative functions. These moves coincide with the retirement of longtime executives Rick Anderson and Allison Keller, both of whom will step down at year’s end. Len Brown, currently chief of global business ventures, will transition into a new role as special advisor to the CEO.
“Dhruv and Paul bring specific experience that will complement our existing team and further strengthen key functions within the organization,” he stated. “And Andy and Neera will help further integrate our operations and elevate the Tour in their expanded roles.”
The moves reflect Rolapp’s commitment to building a more agile, fan-focused and commercially potent PGA Tour. He first teased this vision at August’s Tour Championship, where he laid out his goal to “design the best professional golf competitive model in the world.”
“I think a lot of what I learned at the NFL can be applied here,” Rolapp told reporters. “And part of it — look, the sports business is not that complicated. 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, and then the commercial and the business part will take care of itself.”
He added during the same conversation, “Then you just have to constantly innovate. I think if there’s anything I learned at the NFL, it’s that. We did not sit still.”
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