Brian Rolapp certainly picked an interesting time to leave the NFL and become the new CEO of the PGA Tour this year.
It appeared to be a real coup for the PGA Tour to appoint Rolapp. He looked to be destined for the top job at the NFL before deciding to change sports and see if he could be the man to solve some of golf’s biggest problems.
Would you prefer to see a 20-event PGA Tour schedule which runs for six months rather than the current system?
Of course, there is probably no issue Rolapp has been asked about more since his appointment than the divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Heading into 2025, it looked inevitable that a deal would get across the line. Tiger Woods said a merger was close back in February. But talks have completely stopped between the two sides.
Brian Rolapp suggests whether a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will ever happen
The PGA Tour seems to have thrived since discussions came to a halt. Meanwhile, LIV Golf does not appear to be going anywhere any time soon.
So some fans may have their doubts about whether the PGA Tour feel any need to try and reach an agreement that would bring the game back together.
It certainly seems that everything remains up in the air. Speaking at the CEO Council Forum, Brian Rolapp was asked if there will ever be a merger between the two tours.
“I don’t know, I don’t know the answer to that. I’ve been very public; first of all, I didn’t live through any of the previous conversations, and I will admit that the disruption in the sport is probably the reason I’m sitting here now. I’ve been very public, I will do whatever makes the PGA Tour stronger,” he said.
“And the interesting thing about the PGA Tour, which makes it unique in all of sports, is that it is player-owned. The players own the equity in the tour. Every other sport is either contracted relationships, normally through a collective bargaining agreement where it’s management and labour, I work for the players. And we have a system where they own the equity and can actually earn more, which is an extremely powerful model in sports.
“And I feel a deep responsibility to create something for them in this golf ecosystem. And they should be benefitting from professional sports more than anybody because they are the sport. So I have a responsibility to them, I have a responsibility to the PGA Tour, and I will do whatever benefits the tour.”
The problem the PGA Tour and LIV Golf face after talks came to a halt
The difficulty is working out what the golfing landscape would look like should the two tours come back together.
While LIV stars could potentially feature on the PGA Tour, it is hard to see how Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy could go on and play on LIV every so often given the format of their league.
There are going to be times over the next few years when the PGA Tour looks much stronger, while LIV will also have its moments in the ascendancy.
That will make discussions much trickier. Bryson DeChambeau noted that both sides are digging their heels in too much and are not prepared to make concessions.
So it is hard to see what can happen to connect the pathways each tour is on right now.
The good news for the PGA Tour is that any doubts over their future have surely been put to bed over the last couple of years.
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