There’s a feeling of a new era for the PGA Tour with new CEO Brian Rolapp in place.
Rolapp has been parachuted in to help grow the TOUR even further and amidst the backdrop of LIV Golf and other problems within the game, his experience will be vital.
Previously with the NFL, Rolapp played a huge role in growing the sport, including getting big sponsorship and TV rights deals on board, as well as bringing games overseas.
With Rolapp in place at the PGA Tour, there’s a chance for golf to go to another level and as so many are keen to say, ‘grow the game’.
Of course, for Rolapp to succeed, he’ll need the support of the players on the TOUR.
And speaking to the media at this week’s Procore Championship, Max Homa has revealed his immediate thoughts on the new man in charge.
Max Homa gives honest verdict on PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp
A player like Max Homa can be an important voice for the players and for Brian Rolapp himself, a good sounding board as well.
Homa is one of the players on TOUR who is open about things and isn’t afraid of using social media to get messages out there either.
Now, speaking ahead of the Procore, Homa has revealed the impression he got when speaking to Rolapp recently.
“Yeah, chatted with him at the Travelers, chatted with him at the Rocket Mortgage and chatted with him on the phone with him a week or two ago. He seems awesome,” Homa replied when asked if he’d met Rolapp yet.
“He called me. I think he called a bunch of people. He’s very proactive. I think the most exciting part is just his, one, willingness to be with us. He had a pretty good job. And then two, his energy towards it and like what he sees.
“I always found that, we’re such a niche sport so it’s cool when somebody with the background he’s got in like the biggest sport wants to come here and then has the energy when he does get here. So I think he’ll do a really good job. I’m excited to see what he brings. His perspective on entertainment and stuff is I think is very unique to, it’s like the highest level of entertainment is football.”
The changes Brian Rolapp is proposing for the PGA Tour from 2027
Like any big sport, changes to the fundamentals can take time and Rolapp knows full well he can’t just come in swinging an axe and hope it all works out.
However, he does have vision for the future and speaking on it recently, Smylie Kaufman suggested there’s big things to come from Rolapp.
I like the way he’s approaching it. Let’s get all the data, and then, let’s let these guys just go and be golfers. Let’s not let them try to run the tour. Let the adults in the room be able to take this thing to the next level, and I think that’s what he’s doing now,” Kaufman said.
“Next year, you’re going to start to see progress and announcements of changes that are going to happen in the future years, hopefully starting in 2027 where the schedule I think could get just completely blown up, which would be so exciting for the fans, the players. There’s interesting things that I’ve heard. That would be one of the first things that you could say people are talking about and that things could really get changed up a little bit.”
With the likes of Rory McIlroy impressed with Rolapp and other players also aligning, it does feel like the game could really move forward in the coming years.
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