Brian Rolapp’s move from the NFL to become PGA Tour CEO came at a particularly volatile time for golf.
The appointment was seen as a major coup for the Tour. Rolapp had been expected to take over the top job at the NFL, but instead decided to switch sports and try his hand at fixing some of golf’s biggest issues.
Naturally, no topic has dominated more headlines during his early tenure than where things stand between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
Despite the apparent inevitability of a deal heading into 2025 – with Tiger Woods suggesting a merger was close back in February – talks between the two sides are now stalled.
Brian Rolapp weighs in on the potential future of a PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger
While the PGA Tour has continued to hold strong since talks broke down, LIV Golf does not seem to be losing momentum either.
With that in mind, it is fair for some fans to wonder if the PGA Tour feels any real urgency to restart negotiations or bring both sides together.
Right now, nothing seems settled. During an appearance at the CEO Council Forum, Rolapp was asked if he thought a merger would ever happen between the two organisations.
He replied: “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.
“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 benefiting 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.”
Why a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf does not look likely right now
The big question is what the golf world would look like if the two sides ever did decide to join forces again.
Even if LIV players were allowed back into PGA Tour events, it is hard to imagine Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy jumping over to play in LIV’s league format. The schedules and structures just do not match up easily.
Over the next few years, there will be periods when the PGA Tour appears significantly stronger, and other times when LIV will be on the upswing. That shifting balance makes any real discussion about coming together even more complicated.
Bryson DeChambeau recently pointed out that both tours seem too set in their ways and unwilling to compromise. Until that changes, any talk of unification feels like a long shot.
One thing that does seem clear, though, is that concerns about the PGA Tour’s future have eased considerably in recent years. They look stable and well-positioned for whatever comes next.
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