Urgency remains a factor for the PGA Tour product overhaul, but CEO Brian Rolapp said getting the final vision for the future of the sport right is the ongoing focus.
Rolapp unveiled plans Wednesday to double the number of signature events to 16, add in the four existing majors and designate a secondary wave of — Tier II — events building to signature tournaments. He said the ideal number of tournaments from late January to early September would be 21 to 26.
“No decisions have been made,” Rolapp said.
“I’m a big believer in transparency. Even if my answer is ‘I don’t know.’ I feel an obligation to do that. I’ve had probably 70 conversations with players. But if you ask me what most people think of this plan, I couldn’t tell you.”
Starting the season with a marquee event at an iconic course on the West Coast is another piece of the larger vision for the PGA Tour, he said.
Rolapp spoke Wednesday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., ahead of the Players Championship and gave his thoughts on a number of issues.
Among them: a rolling reveal of widespread changes to the calendar is part of the current plan as Rolapp continues to work closely with Tiger Woods and the Future Competitions Committee.
“I’m incredibly grateful for Tiger Woods for serving on this committee,” Rolapp said. “I’m really grateful to the player directors who serve on that committee who are frankly at different stages in their careers. There’s been some tension in the process, which means we’re making progress.”
Rolapp touched on potential upgrades to the Tour model from simplified standings and tweaks to the current postseason model.
“What you will have is a true meritocracy,” Rolapp said, tracing the premise of revisions to bring “the most compelling events.”
Bigger markets where the PGA Tour wants a larger footprint include Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. Rolapp said he believes there is enough opportunity to keep most of the current events on the schedule in the future. Big markets covet the playoff events, and Rolapp did not rule out moving the Tour Championship from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, the traditional final event in the playoffs.
The current playoff model includes three events culminating at East Lake. Rolapp wants a “compelling competition members care about and fans care about.”
“We’re actively discussing that, but have not come to any decisions,” he said.
Rolapp said the PGA Tour is considering adding match-play elements to postseason scheduling because unanimous feedback from players and fans shows “they want more drama.”
He did dispel thoughts about his definition of “scarcity” in scheduling as meaning he will reduce the number of events each year.
“What it means is we’ll make our events more meaningful,” he said.
With other leagues, including the NFL, openly attempting to double media rights, Rolapp said every other sport and league is getting its “house in order” with increased revenue opportunities.
Rolapp said he’s working to “make the PGA Tour better” when asked about plans to combine with LIV Golf. He made it clear in multiple statements LIV Golf and fizzled merger talks were “not a priority.”
Rolapp anticipates progress at his next public update following a June 22 board meeting. He said the committee “was created to do the hard work” in bringing together a multifaceted vision.
–Field Level Media
