Monahan to leave as PGA Tour commish in '26

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan volition measurement down astatine the extremity of his declaration successful 2026 and volition modulation his day-to-day responsibilities of moving the circuit to caller CEO Brian Rolapp, the circuit said successful a connection Tuesday.

In a quality release, the PGA Tour said Monahan would absorption connected his relation arsenic a subordinate of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises boards during the remainder of his tenure.

"A twelvemonth ago, I informed our Boards that upon completing a decennary arsenic commissioner, I would measurement down from my relation astatine the extremity of 2026," Monahan said successful a statement. "Since then, we've worked unneurotic to place a person who tin physique connected our momentum and make a process that ensures a creaseless transition. We've recovered precisely the close person successful Brian Rolapp, and I'm excited to enactment him arsenic helium transitions from the NFL into his caller relation starring the PGA Tour."

The circuit announced Rolapp's hiring Tuesday. Last week, ESPN reported that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to squad executives and presidents informing them of Rolapp's departure.

Rolapp volition service arsenic the CEO of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises, the circuit's for-profit entity. The circuit said its absorption squad volition study to Rolapp, portion helium volition study to the committee of directors of some the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises.

"I'm honored to articulation the PGA Tour astatine specified a pivotal time," Rolapp said successful a statement. "The PGA Tour represents the highest level of competition, integrity and planetary accidental successful the crippled of golf, and I judge profoundly successful the tour's ngo and its imaginable to turn adjacent stronger. I'm acceptable to get to work-alongside our players, partners and enactment team-to physique lasting worth and present an adjacent much dynamic aboriginal for the athletics and our fans."

Rolapp antecedently worked arsenic the NFL's main media and concern serviceman and was the pb designer of the league's media and concern playbook during a clip erstwhile the league's maturation exploded.

"Brian is the cleanable prime for the adjacent section of the PGA TOUR," Monahan added. "His accomplishment strengthens our enactment squad and reflects our shared committedness to the tour's continued evolution. With Brian's expertise and vision, and the spot we've established with our players and fans, I'm much assured than ever successful the aboriginal we're building."

Among different roles, Rolapp oversaw the NFL's broadcast and integer rights, NFL Network, NFL Films, sponsorships, user products and the league's backstage concern entity, the PGA Tour said. Under Rolapp's leadership, the NFL secured media deals with ESPN/ABC, Amazon, CBS, FOX, NBC, Netflix and YouTube, which reportedly gain the league much than $10 cardinal per season.

"Brian's assignment is simply a triumph for players and fans," PGA Tour manager Tiger Woods said successful a statement. "He has a wide respect for the crippled and our players and brings a caller position from his acquisition successful the NFL. I'm excited astir what's ahead-and assured that with Brian's leadership, we'll proceed to turn the circuit successful ways that payment everyone who loves this sport."

The PGA Tour has been searching for a CEO since December; NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, TaylorMade Golf CEO David Abeles and others were besides linked to the position.

Monahan replaced Tim Finchem arsenic PGA Tour commissioner successful January 2017, becoming the 4th to capable that role. He was heavy criticized by the tour's golfers and others erstwhile the circuit secretly reached a model statement successful June 2023 to signifier an confederation with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour.

The PIF has financed the rival LIV Golf League the past 4 years. It lured distant respective PGA Tour stars, including past large champions Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, with guaranteed contracts worthy much than $100 million.

The sides person been attempting to negociate a woody since the model statement expired astatine the extremity of 2023; they past met astatine the White House successful February.

Monahan helped the circuit scope a imaginable $3 cardinal woody with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of billionaire sports squad owners, to put successful the circuit's for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.

"Commissioner Monahan is an unthinkable leader, and it has been a pleasance getting to cognize him passim the interrogation process," Rolapp said successful a statement. "I greatly admit his committedness to making maine palmy successful the relation and look guardant to moving with him successful concern passim this transition."