PGA Tour announced its succession plan this week: Brian Rolap will take over as CEO after NFL served as Chief Media and Business Officer. Commissioner J Monhan will “infection his day-to-day responsibilities” in Rolup before leaving the post in 2026.
Monhan, of course, left the professional golf in a worse size when he took over in 2017, as the live golf managed to divide the game and remove many of his best players. The fact that the biggest stars of golf rarely play similar events, became a widely discussed issue. While the seizures have improved some schedule, still have to go a long way.
Let’s leave the pipe of LIV-PGA reunion on one side for now. There are three things here to punch a PGA tour schedule that has become stale:
1. Stir signature selection
The PGA Tour landed on something with his nominated/high/signature events starting in 2023. On a crowded program, these tournaments brought most top players together, and the average fans could finally tell one event to another.
Initially, the plan was to rotate four of these events annually. So far, the WM Phoenix Open was swapped to the AT and T Pable Beach Pro-M-and about it.
These decisions should not be hinged which tournaments are near the Major or which players just enjoy. For example, this week’s travelers take championships-a border-fest with a bright review about food and hospitality in terms of Challen Challenge, but a little real substance. Anything “signature” shouts about it.
If I can do a magic wand, the Scottish Open Signature will earn a status-without a 72-player field. Which leads to the next point …
2. Think globally
Rolap did not say much while addressing reporters this week, but he emphasized that the “global” situation of golf is a major development opportunity.
Well, DP World (East European) is an alliance with tour, just waiting for leverages. The PGA Tour eventually co-approved the Scottish Open in 2022. There are many other high-profile European events that may become a backbone of a European (or Asian or Australian) swing in the fall or winter-the right stakeholders are ready to meet.
And it is not just about international expansion. American cities such as New York/New Jersey, Boston, Washington and Chicago regularly visited in the 2000s, but fell from the calendar. Note where did Live Golf go when choosing a venue?
3. Fall: Inside or outside?
The PGA Tour has become a two-tier league-a panthouse class of Carti Shefflers, Rory McLero and other clans, and to keep your cards to grind the rank-end-filing “mule”.
Under the new “Fedex Cup Fall” setup, it fights to hold the tour status in the second level October and November events, while the top 50 playoff finishers enjoy an extended offsen.
Here is the argument: all or out on the fall golf. You can stage a meaningful tournament (perhaps internationally, according to the previous point) and encourage top stars to show for one or two weeks – accepting that NFL will SAP some TV ratings on Sunday.
Or the scrap falls completely. Give every player a real offsen. Create a decrease in your product. A lower schedule-46 incidents can make trimming-boring business knowledge long term in the 30s.
