Brian Rolapp had his first meeting with some media on Tuesday just minutes after his official appointment as the new CEO of the PGA Tour, replacing Jay Monahan. Discussions with the PIF and the relationship with LIV Golf were some of the main topics he addressed. He referred to this matter for the first time, which has been stalled for months. Will his arrival be the key to unlocking the negotiation? We’ll see. For now, neither Monahan nor Greg Norman, the two figures who have most fiercely clashed since the birth of LIV Golf, are present. At the moment, Rolapp is not committing much but leaves all scenarios open.
Regarding the current fragmentation of golf, the new CEO, who has come from the NFL, stated, “I arrive with a blank slate. I also arrive knowing there is much to learn. Everything that works in the world of American football may not work in golf. I think fans have been quite clear. They want to see the best golfers competing against each other. I think we all, as golf fans, agree with that. As for the situation with LIV, I think it’s something complex that I should probably learn more about before speaking. But I will say that my focus is on growing the TOUR, improving it, and really moving forward from the position of strength it has,” he assures.
In this case, the speech does not differ much from those recently delivered by Monahan. That is, we all want to see golf united and the best playing together, but we’ll see how it’s done, making it clear that the PGA Tour’s position is one of strength. As for the negotiations with the PIF and whether the future of the American circuit is feasible without an association with the Saudis, Rolapp also did not offer much clarity. “I’m not close enough to those conversations, but I will say that, regardless of that, I saw a very strong TOUR. I see a strong product. I see strong golfers. I think the ‘Signature Events’ have been a huge and important progress in the sport. So I see strength,” he notes.
There is nothing concrete, beyond the fact that what some considered crucial for the PGA Tour and LIV to reach an agreement someday has finally happened. We refer to the changes in the positions of Monahan and Greg Norman. Undoubtedly, this matter will be one of the crucial points of Rolapp’s new mandate. Another important aspect will be how the SSG money is going to be invested. In this regard, the new CEO also did not offer any concrete answers and stuck to the classic: “we still have to study it.”
On the other hand, he referred to other interesting matters:
– Three things that can be applied from the NFL to the PGA Tour… “One is to focus tirelessly on the game, achieving the highest level of competition is extremely important. That’s something we obsess over. The second is finding the right partners. Not just sponsors, but media that can help grow the game, distribute the game, reach as many fans as possible. That’s something we’ll look at. And third is a constant mindset of innovation. You have to change. We will honour tradition, but we will not be unnecessarily limited by it, and where it makes sense to change, we will. I think that’s something I take from my previous experience and I’m excited to apply here.”
– The growth of the PGA Tour in the short and medium term… “I have to come in and analyse it a bit. If you look at sports in general, it is clearly one of the most valuable intellectual properties. People love sports. That hasn’t changed. Golf specifically is truly a global sport. Participation in golf has increased. It has been increasing significantly since COVID. People love the sport and play it. That’s unique. I think that translates into all kinds of long-term opportunities. From the TV audiences I see, it translates that people love the PGA TOUR, love the competition, especially when the best players are on the field. I think all those are strengths to build on. We will look at it with a blank slate, but I think there are opportunities to better engage fans in the tournaments.”
– The importance of players… and fans… “What attracted me to this opportunity is that it is unique in sport because the players own the Tour. It’s their Tour. They are the shareholders. They are the owners, so I certainly work for them. That said, and we talked a bit about this in our meeting with the players, I think they know that what is good for the fans is also good for the Tour. Working in the sports business as long as I have, sometimes it’s not that complicated. If you think about what is best for the fan, it is usually best for everyone involved. So I think we will maintain that mindset here.”
– After the leak of his appointment in some media, some criticisms were made on social media because he is not a great golf player… “My first job in high school was working at the Congressional Country Club. There I earned money for petrol. That’s how I got into the game, on employee day, learning to play golf. Then career and family started and I drifted away from the game for a long time because my career and family got in the way, but I picked it up again a few years ago. I have four children. Three of my boys love to play. I really enjoy being there with them. There are very few times when you have four hours with your kids and I don’t know if they like it because they get a lot of questions. So I play. I probably play between five and ten rounds a year. Not as much as I would like. No one hired me for my golf level. That’s not my job. My job is to do other things. But I am a big fan of the sport. My handicap I won’t tell you. It will be confidential. There’s a reason I didn’t include it.”
