PGA Tour CEO Contender: NFL Executive Rolapp Surfaces as Front-Runner
Loosened Up Version:
The PGA Tour has homed in on longtime NFL bigwig, Brian Rolapp, as their top pick to serve as the organization's first CEO, partnering with Commissioner Jay Monahan, sources familiar with the search process reveal.
Back in December, the PGA Tour kick-started a hunt to fill the new CEO position, as it navigates its talks with LIV Golf and its backers, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Monahan has been commissioner since 2017, replacing the legendary Tim Finchem.
Tour sponsor Korn Ferry, handling the commissioner search, didn't respond to our request for a comment on the proceedings.
Rolapp has risen from a gang of four top contenders, all boasting impressive sports backgrounds. The mix included Steve Phelps, recently crowned NASCAR's first commissioner, after serving as NASCAR chief.
Additionally, TaylorMade Golf CEO David Abeles and ski resort titan Jared Smith were in the running. Smith spent 17 years at Ticketmaster, reigning as president and global chieftain.
Since 2003, Rolapp has been an NFL stalwart, currently serving as their chief media and business officer. He's driven the league's media strategy, with current deals worth over $120 billion across 11 years. Rolapp has been eyed as a potential successor to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and has been wooed by outside firms due to his prowess in managing the NFL's media business.
Monahan's tenure hasn't been a walk in the park, with challenges surfacing early on due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the debut of LIV Golf.
Fast-forward to June 2023, the PGA Tour and LIV inked a "framework agreement," aimed at creating a new for-profit partnership and halting hostilities between the two camps. Still, a final agreement remains elusive, but the legacy tour got a boost from a $1.5 billion investment from a crew of deep-pocketed investors, which could eventually swell to $3 billion for a new PGA Tour commercial venture, PGA Tour Enterprises.
Leading this syndicate, Strategic Sports Group, is Fenway Sports Group, accompanied by heavyweights like Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, FSG owner John Henry, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, RedBird Capital Partners founder Gerry Cardinale, and Marc Lasry's Avenue Sports Fund. Cohen, Henry, Lasry, and Blank are four of the six franchise owners of TGL, the team golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Blank has helmed the search committee for the new PGA Tour CEO. Members include players Woods and Adam Scott, as well as Monahan, FSG CEO Sam Kennedy, and PGA Tour Enterprises board member and former Valero CEO Joe Gorder.
Relating Tidbit
LIV Golf Snags Chris Heck as President of Business Operations
People are closely watching as the PGA Tour introduces Brian Rolapp, a longtime NFL executive, as their top pick for the new CEO role, partnering with Commissioner Jay Monahan. Rolapp, who currently serves as the NFL's chief media and business officer, brings a wealth of finance and leadership experience to the table, having driven deals worth over $120 billion in the NFL's media business.
In the world of business, LIV Golf has also made moves, hiring Chris Heck as President of Business Operations, adding to their sports-betting operations and increasing their influence in American football, particularly NFL and football, like college or high school versions.
This news follows the PGA Tour's partnership talks with LIV Golf and its backers, with some deep-pocketed investors, including the Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, committing $1.5 billion to the legacy tour, which could eventually rise to a $3 billion investment for PGA Tour Enterprises.
All these business ventures reflect the dynamic and competitive landscape of sports, where leadership, finance, and strategic partnerships play crucial roles in the success and growth of organizations.
