Greg Norman has every reason to believe he has had a major hand in shaping where the PGA Tour is heading, with sweeping changes expected in the coming years.
The PGA Tour is on the brink of a major overhaul. The landscape is shifting, and soon only the top 100 players are likely to retain their full cards for 2026.
Talks of a shorter season have been growing louder as well, with some suggesting that the PGA Tour could feature fewer than 25 events.
The hiring of Brian Rolapp as CEO earlier this year seems to reinforce that direction.
Brian Rolapp’s move to the PGA Tour
Rolapp joined the PGA Tour from the NFL, and many saw his appointment as a significant get for golf. There had even been talk that he was in line for the commissioner’s role at the NFL before making the switch.
While the 52-year-old has not made any major changes yet, it seems clear that he has spent his early days getting familiar with how things work behind-the-scenes.
Even so, Greg Norman – who held a similar role at LIV Golf not long ago – is one of those backing Rolapp to make an impact. He shared his thoughts during an interview with Mark Bouris.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get it as a major, but I actually think time is on my side,” he began by saying about the Australian Open.
“Experience and knowledge is on my side. I was there as part of it as a player, and I saw the weaknesses back then, and the weaknesses still exist today to some degree. But it’s now the new mindset of bringing new people in who are more business-like.
“How do we grow it? It’s no different than what’s happening with the PGA Tour right now. They brought in an outsider from the NFL, Brian Rolapp, to restructure the PGA Tour to some degree. And from what I’m seeing, I don’t even know the guy, don’t need to know any of the policies, but what I’m seeing is this shift taking place. That shift is great. But the shift only happened because of what LIV did.”
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp addresses rumours about reduced schedule
It has not been confirmed yet whether the PGA Tour will be scaled back to around 22 events per year. Such a change would certainly make every event feel more significant.
But there are other factors to consider. The PGA Tour has built strong connections in many communities across the US, and some of those cities would likely lose their tournaments if the schedule is cut down that much.
Rolapp recently commented on Harris English’s support for a shorter season, suggesting that it reflects conversations happening within the sport.
“Nothing has been decided, and Harris’ comments have been getting a lot of attention, but Harris’ comments really reflect a lot of conversations that have been going on,” he said.
“If you dig deeper into what he said, it’s really not that complicated. If you are going to compete with Football in this country for media dollars and attention, it’s a really hard thing to do.”
Rolapp added: “The majority of golf is played in the summer and gets people’s attention, so looking at schedules to help optimize that calendar is certainly something we talk about.”
There seems to be support behind Rolapp at this early stage. Many felt ready for new leadership following Jay Monahan’s time in charge.
This backing could prove valuable as he looks into changes that might significantly reshape the tour.
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