PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolopp gave his first Players Championship Week news conference on March 11 and outlined intriguing but far from finalized possibilities for the Tour’s schedule beyond the 2026 season.
It includes more than doubling the number of Signature Events when, combined with golf’s four majors, The Players, the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, could bring together the world’s best players around two dozen times during the season.
He also threw out the notion of contesting the season-ending Tour Championship in a match play format, starting the schedule in late January with a West Coast event “at an iconic course” that features prime time coverage on the East Coast and a second tier of PGA Tour events that will enable players to “ladder up” for what he called “the First Track” events.
“No decisions have been made. … this remains a work in progress,” he said.
Rolopp also stopped short of declaring The Players, the PGA Tour’s marquee event, a major championship, despite the debate that was fueled by a Players Championship promotional video released in February that said, “March is going to be Major.”
“I’m not entirely sure how majors become majors,” he said. “But history is really interesting to study. I think what’s important [is] that’s not for us to decide. What is important is that this is a pretty special event and I think among the best events. Anyone you talk to, players, fans, partners say the same thing and I think that should be celebrated.”
Rolopp left the door slightly ajar for the Players to move from its March date under a new schedule.
“I think we’re open to anything,” he said. “I think in our discussions, moving this tournament has not been part of it. It seems to work well here [in March]. I think we like it here. So while we are really operating with a blank sheet of paper, to date, we have not discussed moving the date of this tournament.
What could the Tour schedule look like?
Rolopp said that after more than 30 meetings of the Future Competitions Committee, chaired by Tiger Woods, a framework of what the schedule may look like has emerged — with the caveat that discussions are still ongoing with the Tour Policy Board, sponsors and TV partners.
He said the smaller Signature Events fields such as 72 last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, might be increased to a standard 120-player field, and no-cut events could disappear. He estimated that the top players in the world might come together between 21-to-26 times.
“It helps fans know who they will see and showcases who they want to see, the most competitive players,” he said. “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.”
Rolopp said he would like to schedule First Track events in large cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston, “places where there is a strong fan demand for our sport, and a chance to reach new fans.”
But he said the buzzword “scarcity,” which has been tossed around to indicate a retraction in the number of events, is misleading. He said the second tier of events would still provide playing opportunities for Tour players to reach the First Track.
“There has been a lot of discussion about scarcity,” he said. “Ultimately, scarcity is not about the number of events we have, but rather scarcity is about making every event we have matter. 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.”
Rolopp compared the concept to English football, where teams move between the Premier League and Championship levels based on their performance.
“For our members, the message is pretty simple: Play well and you earn the opportunity to compete in our biggest events and for more money,” he said.
Match Play in the postseason?
The Tour has used several different formats for its FedEx Cup Playoffs and the season-ending Tour Championship. He said match play is under discussion by the committee.
“We have heard from our fans and our partners … they want more drama,” he said. “We are considering the potential integration of match play, either at the Tour Championship or across the postseason as a whole, bringing win-or-go-home moments to the conclusion of our season.”
Rolopp stressed several times that “nothing has been finalized.”
“We are still doing our work and gathering input from our players, our partners and other key stakeholders.”
He said he would provide another progress report following the Policy Board meeting on June 22 at the Travelers Championship.
Rolopp said he’s focused on PGA Tour, not LIV Golf
Rolopp skipped past a question about the Tour merging with the LIV Golf League.
“I think I’ve been clear about this; my brief is to make the PGA Tour better,” he said. “I’m open to whatever makes the PGA Tour better. Better for fans, better for our members. So that’s what I’m focused on, and that’s where I put all my efforts.”
He also dismissed a question about whether LIV Golf players would be invited to The Players.
“That’s not sort of a priority I’ve put on my list,” he said. “So that’s not something I’ve sort of considered to date. There’s priorities other than that.”
Rolopp said pathways have been created for the return this year of Brooks Koepka to the Tour, and for Patrick Reed next, based on their LIV contracts expiring.
Other LIV members such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau had a chance to take the same option that Kopeka did, and missed a Tour-imposed deadline.
“The returning member program was really designed for a set of circumstances that arrived on our doorstep a bit unexpectedly,” he said of Koepka’s situation. “We heard from Brooks on the 23rd of December. He informed us that he was out of contract, and so we had a new situation to deal with. We created a very short-term program that applied to Brooks or anyone who may have been in his similar situation. Turns out others were not. We were very explicit that that was a one-time situational returning member program, and I stand by that.
“I don’t know the contractual relationship or the terms of others on the LIV Tour, and they have contracts and those should be honored,” Rolopp continued. “But we do have a pathway; Patrick Reed is clearly taking advantage of that pathway. I think the LIV players know what those pathways are, and until they change, those are the pathways.”
Rolopp said charity will continue to be part of the Tour
Despite the creation of a for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises and the private equity investment of the Strategic Sports Group, Rolopp said charity will still be a part of the PGA Tour.
“The charitable aspect of the PGA Tour is really special and is part of the DNA of the PGA Tour,” he said. “We plan on continuing that. With all of these changes, no one should expect us taking a backwards step in our commitment to charitable causes.”
News conference had a large audience
The news conference was held at the PGA Tour’s Global Home, a Tiger Woods 3-wood behind the 17th green of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, and in the same large area on the first floor of the facility where Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame four years and two days before.
In addition to more than 70 media members, who had to obtain a separate credential in addition to their Players Championship badges, Golf Channel aired it live.
The function was also attended by an estimated 1,400 Tour employees, representatives of The Players presenting sponsors (Morgan Stanley, Comcast Business and Optum), other sponsors and player agents, curious to hear if Rolopp’s comments might affect their clients’ livelihood.
In the past, PGA Tour commissioners had merely taken a quick golf cart ride to The Players media center to do their State of the Tour news conference the week of the tournament.
But the issues at hand were bigger, and Rolopp opted for a bigger room and audience.
He also said he was ready for his first Players Championship as the Tour CEO.
“My family and I are excited to experience our first Players Championship, an event that represents the very best of the PGA Tour,” he said. “This is shaping up to be our most successful Players to date, with sold-out crowds on Friday and Saturday, and I’m sure Sunday. We take a lot of pride in The Players, and with all the major talk, some may say even too much pride. Ultimately, that is not for us to decide.
“But what is clear is that fans, players and partners consider this to be one of the best tournaments in the world, and we are honored to showcase it this week.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Tour schedule may have major changes coming, CEO Brian Rolapp says
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
