Tiger Woods to lead PGA committee focused on ‘significant’ change

ATLANTA — Tiger Woods was named the chair of the PGA Tour’s new future competition committee by CEO Brian Rolapp, who is tasking the nine-person panel to bring “significant change” to the current model for Tournament golf competition.
Rolapp said Wednesday the goal is to optimize the game for players, fans and Tour partners. Woods was told to apply a “clean sheet” mentality and invite input from players, fans, sponsors and partners.
“The goal is not incremental change,” Rolapp said at East Lake Golf Club one day before the Tour Championship begins. “The goal is significant change.”
Fan engagement was amplified under Jay Monahan, and is a core tenet for LIV Golf with a popular social media presence driven by Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, among others. Rolapp is looking to widen the PGA Tour’s presence in those categories while thinking even bigger.
“The sports business is not that complicated. You get the product right. You get the right partners. Your fans will reward you,” Rolapp said.
Woods is one of four player directors on the new committee. Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott and Camilo Villegas are joined by Maverick McNealy and Keith Mitchell of the player advisory council.
Joe Gorder, chairman of the PGA Tour Enterprises and Policy boards, Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry and former Cubs and Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein are also on the committee. Epstein currently serves as a senior advisor to FSG.
Rolapp said he has not had contact with anyone from the Public Investment Fund. While he did not say verbatim that merger talks with LIV Golf are dead, he intimated his focus was exclusively on the PGA Tour.
“I have not spoken to anyone from the Public Investment Fund. I’ve been here for three weeks, so my focus has obviously been on the Tour, focusing on the Tour and in learning and starting to develop a bit of a vision for the future,” Rolapp said.
“I would offer to you that the best collection of golfers in the world are on the PGA Tour,” he continued. “I think there’s a bunch of metrics that demonstrate that, from rankings to viewership to whatever you want to pick. I’m going to lean into that and strengthen that.”
The full committee, confirmed by the PGA Tour and announced Wednesday:
Tiger Woods (Chairman) — Player Director, PGA TOUR Policy & PGA TOUR Enterprises Boards
Patrick Cantlay — Player Director, PGA TOUR Policy & PGA TOUR Enterprises Boards
Adam Scott — Player Director, PGA TOUR Policy & PGA TOUR Enterprises Boards
Camilo Villegas — Player Director, PGA TOUR Policy & PGA TOUR Enterprises Boards
Maverick McNealy — Co-Chairman, PGA TOUR Player Advisory Council
Keith Mitchell — Co-Chairman, PGA TOUR Player Advisory Council
Joe Gorder — Chairman, PGA TOUR Policy & PGA TOUR Enterprises Boards; Former Executive Chairman & CEO, Valero Energy
John Henry — Principal, Fenway Sports Group; Manager, Strategic Sports Group; PGA TOUR Enterprises Board Member
Theo Epstein — Senior Advisor, Fenway Sports Group; Former General Manager, Boston Red Sox and President of Baseball Operations, Chicago Cubs