Tiger Woods has hinted that major schedule changes are coming soon on the PGA Tour.
After Harris English spoke out about the RSM Classic’s 20-event Tour calendar, Golf Digest reported on the intrigue, people and vision behind the Tour’s sweeping changes with the arrival of new CEO Brian Rolup. One of the people playing a key role in this discussion is Woods, a member of the future competition committee. At the Hero World Challenge on Tuesday, Woods made the case for why these changes are necessary for the health of the tour. RELATED: How realistic is the possibility of a 20-event PGA Tour season? Explaining the future of the new tour “Well, this is a fan base. We’re trying to give the fans the best product we can. And I think if we can give the fans the best product we can, we can give it more to the players who have equity on tour,” Woods said at the Bahamas tournament. “So the financial windfall could be great for everyone involved.”
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As Golf Digest reported, big items in the theoretical new schedule would include delaying the start of the season, specifically moving it to just before or after the Super Bowl to avoid conflict with the NFL’s playoffs, eliminating the Hawaiian swing, eliminating the two-tier system, and overlapping with the DP World Tour in co-hosted events. Why this is happening now is confusing. Rolup preaches scarcity, and the idea of bloated touring schedules is nothing new. Additionally, the Tour’s private equity investor, Strategic Sports Group, is seeking to recoup its funds, especially if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and its $1.5 billion are no longer part of the Tour’s future, and one of the means to achieve that will be to reduce the schedule.
Woods did not go into details at the press conference, only saying that the FCC has been considering a number of initiatives.
“We’re trying to find the best schedule possible so that we can have the best field and get the most viewers and the most fan participation, but what will that look like?” Woods said. “You know, that’s one of the reasons why we stopped playing in September and October and even early November when we were playing in the early days of the Tour Championship. There are things that are impacting the Shield there. Different timetables for opening and finishing, different tent poles throughout the year and we’ll see how that goes.”
“We have some incredibly smart player directors, independent players and leaders who have led change in other sports. With Brian’s leadership and management, we’re trying to bring all of that together and do different things over and over again. But let’s create a product that players want to participate in, are going to participate in, are excited to participate in, and that all of our fans and partners who attend all of our events and everyone involved in the sport recognizes as a better product.”
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Numerous hurdles remain to potential change. How to meet existing media contracts while negotiating new ones, how to work with tournament sponsors (particularly those sponsoring events where relegation is a possibility), the fact that Rolup is new to the field, and the threat of LIV Golf in the background. Woods said the FCC does not operate in a vacuum and seeks to involve everyone who may be involved or affected.
“I think we’ve had three different meetings so far, one of which is scheduled here. We’ve dismantled and looked at so many different models,” Woods said. “It’s been a big deal. We’ve been talking to title sponsors, CMOs, tournament directors, media partners, talking to different people and incorporating a lot of what they want to see.
“Then it’s up to us on the committee to put everything together, make it work, and keep the players informed of what could happen. And we also want their input. We’re being very transparent about all of this. That’s something we’ve been very insistent on. We’ve been very vocal about the transparency aspect of this process for some time now. It’s great for all the fans, it’s great for the players. Like I said, it could be a financial windfall for everyone. ”
Given that all stakeholders are involved, there will likely be hurt feelings and damaged self-esteem. Woods reiterated that there were many voices involved in this decision, but also pointed out the obvious. This means that some people are not satisfied.
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“Honestly, we started with a blank slate. What would be the best product we could make, what would it look like? So we take a blank sheet of paper and start throwing ideas around, and there’s like a thousand ideas on this board,” Woods said. “Then we add in all the people we interviewed and what they want to see and throw it all in there. Then we start talking to the players, what they want to see, how can the players get promoted or relegated, how can we get even more involvement in player equity? All of these are things that we’re trying to include and all of those things that we’re trying to change. Yes, there will be some eggs that will spill, some that will break — and some that will break, but I think in the end we’ll be able to deliver a much better product than we have now for everyone involved. ”
Speaking last month, English said changes could come as early as 2027. As Golf Digest noted, that schedule seemed ambitious. Woods himself talked about the changes that would occur between 2027 and 2028. When asked for follow-up on whether 2027 is possible, Woods said only that the group is trying to reach that date.
“We’re trying to make it happen in the best way possible so that it can be introduced in 2027,” Woods said. “Hopefully we can get there and we hope we get there. We’re working with all of our partners to create the best schedule and product to make it all happen in 2020. That’s what we’re trying to do. We don’t know if we’ll get there, we don’t know if we’ll get there, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Woods, who appears far from returning to competitive action after recent surgery, was asked why he chose to help Rolup rebuild the future of the tour. “The PGA Tour gave me the opportunity to pursue a childhood dream. When I was 16 years old, I had the opportunity to hit my first pitch in my first PGA Tour event,” Woods said. “I know that was 33 years ago, but I’ve been involved with the PGA Tour ever since. A little kid growing up on a par-3 course in Cypress, California, got a chance to play against the best players in the world and become No. 1 in the world.”
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“I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in different things on tour. This is another opportunity to impact the tour. I did that with the golf club and made a few putts here and there and was able to do that. Now I can impact future generations in a different way. Not just the generations I played against, but future generations like the 16-year-olds who were looking for a place to play.”
