In the world of professional golf, where tradition is cherished, and change tends to arrive on the slowest of Sunday strolls, the mere idea of gutting the PGA Tour schedule to a lean 20-something events is more than just bold. It’s seismic. Yet, according to recent murmurs from the likes of veteran Harris English and behind-the-scenes discussions that have grown in intensity since Brian Rolapp’s appointment as CEO, this vision may not be far from reality.
A Post-Super Bowl Start, and the End of “Elevated Events”
English, hardly known for reckless conjecture, casually dropped the bomb at the RSM Classic: a potential overhaul that would not only compress the schedule but also eliminate the disparity between elevated and regular events. Imagine a calendar without the dual-class structure, a full slate of equally weighted tournaments designed to attract top-tier players to every stop on the map. A post-Super Bowl season start, uniform prestige across events, and reduced room for skipping out, this is the future being charted.
Behind this vision lies Rolapp’s business-first philosophy, rooted in a belief that “scarcity breeds value.” Drawing from models like the NFL, where limited regular-season games command sky-high viewership, the PGA Tour is looking to trim its fat. And, with a $1.5 billion stake from the Strategic Sports Group on the line, and Saudi Arabia’s PIF less likely to double down, financial urgency has never been higher.
PGA Tour Cutting the Fat: Goodbye to Maui, Palm Springs, and Possibly More
But the move isn’t without casualties. Hawaiian mainstays, long plagued by logistical challenges and low fan presence, could be cut. So might some storied Florida and Texas events, despite deep roots. Meanwhile, majors remain untouched, with bye weeks strategically slotted to keep top players fresh. The fall? Possibly relegated to a new tier of competition, maybe even a merged Korn Ferry-PGA Tour hybrid league.
Sources suggest that markets like Boston and Chicago, long underserved despite their historical ties to the sport, could re-enter the mix as part of a strategic metropolitan reshuffle. It’s a reimagining not just of when golf is played, but also of where it thrives, and who it serves.
LIV Looms, and TV Partners Eye the Exit Signs
Obstacles abound: renegotiating television rights with CBS, NBC, and ESPN won’t be easy, especially when “prime” inventory is halved. Long-time sponsors may balk at losing their event or being downgraded to a second-tier product. And LIV Golf, still armed with deep Saudi pockets, watches it all with quiet interest. A leaner PGA Tour may inadvertently push veteran players toward Greg Norman’s rebel circuit, while the DP World Tour, facing its own crossroads, could emerge as a new refuge for displaced stars.
And still, opportunity gleams between the cracks: a platform more aligned with the modern fan’s attention span, a system that rewards rising talent over legacy names, and perhaps a product that feels more essential, more elite, and more electric.
Nothing is official, but something is inevitable. Whether in 2027 or 2028, a reckoning is coming. Golf’s old guard may flinch, but the future, like it or not, is no longer playing by the old rules.
