PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – While no final decisions have been made, plans are being laid out to “build the best version of the PGA Tour” possible with an emphasis on meritocracy, a 26-event season and the possible introduction of matchplay at the end of the year, says CEO Brian Rolapp.
During a massively attended press conference Wednesday at the PGA Tour’s ‘Global Home,’ Rolapp outlined six pivotal themes shaping the Tour’s future.
“This remains a work in progress, and it is by no means a baked cake,” said Rolapp, who was speaking ahead of the Players Championship. “These are simply areas where we are starting to see a meaningful consensus….this is a complex process with many constituencies impacted. We will continue to move with urgency, but we are focused on getting it right.
“We went into this project with a very clear objective: to build the best version of the PGA Tour, one that better serves our fans, players, and partners. Throughout the process we are keeping today’s fans and the fans of tomorrow at the center of our work, making sure that everything we do and every decision we consider is evaluated through that lens.”
Rolapp continues to work closely with Tiger Woods and the Future Competitions Committee with their collective focus placed on a competitive model built on meritocracy.
“This is not a closed shop,” Rolapp said. “We are aiming to create a more cohesive schedule with a simpler point system, one where the best players compete against one another more frequently.
“Fans know who the best players are. They are the players who perform best on the course. Our competitive model will be built around elevating those who prove themselves to be the top performers inside the ropes.”
Rolapp unveiled plans to double the number of signature events to 16, add in the four existing majors and the Players Championship and then designate a secondary wave of Tier II events.
“As we look at the calendar, there is an emphasis on playing our season from late January to early September … we are looking at roughly 21 to 26 tournaments on a first track of elevated events with the best players competing for higher purses,” he said. “We will then have a second track of PGA Tour tournaments which will ladder up to those elevated events.”
As a second theme, Rolapp said that more consistent fields would be established, with a move away from small fields and no-cut events.
“Ideally, we are targeting something closer to 120-player fields with a cut,” he added. “That consistently matters. It helps fans know who they will see and showcases who they want to see, the most competitive players. It helps partners know what they’re investing in, and it helps players better understand the competitive landscape in their schedules, all while embracing meritocracy.”
Opening the season with a marquee event at an iconic venue on the West Coast was another piece of the expanded vision for the PGA Tour, according to Rolapp.
“That will then allow us to finish on network television in primetime on the East Coast,” he said.
A fourth theme would focus on where the PGA Tour played its tournaments, and plans were afoot to include bigger markets such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston.
“Today the PGA Tour competes in only four of the top 10 largest U.S. media markets,” said Rolapp. “That is an opportunity. We are evaluating other markets … places where there is a strong fan demand for our sport, and a chance to reach new fans.”
Rolapp dispelled any idea that his definition of “scarcity” in scheduling meant a reduction in the number of events each year.
“Ultimately, scarcity is not about the number of events we have, but rather scarcity is about making every event we have matter,” he explained. “This is why we are evaluating the role of promotion and relegation between these two tracks within our competitive model… what we envision is a merit-based system that leans into what makes professional golf so compelling, players earning their way to the top, with every event having greater meaning.”
The sixth and final theme hinged on adding more drama to the PGA Tour schedule, including the possible addition of match play.
“We are exploring ways to enhance the post-season,” said Rolapp. “We have heard from our fans and our partners, they want more drama. We are considering the potential integration of match play, either at the Tour Championship or across the post-season as a whole, bringing win-or-go-home moments to the conclusion of our season.”
While everything outlined by Rolapp on Wednesday remains a work in progress with nothing yet decided, he planned to have further updates in late June.
“Nothing has been finalized,” he said. “We are still doing our work and gathering input from our players, our partners, and other key stakeholders. No recommendations have gone to our player-led boards. Looking ahead, we expect to make more meaningful progress by this
summer, and following our June 22nd board meeting, I plan to host another press conference at the Travelers Championship.”
