The PGA Tour appears closer than ever to hiring the first CEO in the organization’s history. Longtime NFL executive Brian Rolapp has become the “clear favorite” for the role, according to SportsBusiness Journal, with ESPN reporting he has decided to take the position.
Rolapp serves as the NFL’s executive vice president, chief media and business officer. He is responsible for the league’s television contracts, digital media rights and relationships and sponsorships. Rolapp has spent the last 22 years with NFL and was long expected to one day succeed commissioner Roger Goodell, whose present contract runs until 2027.
Goodell on Thursday informed executives of the 32 NFL teams that Rolapp would be departing the league, per ESPN.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced in December 2024 that the organization would begin a formal search for its first CEO, a positioned deemed necessary following the creation of its for-profit arm, PGA Tour Enterprises, and the acceptance of a $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of professional sports owners and executives.
The CEO search committee was led by PGA Tour Enterprises board member Arthur Blank (owner of the Atlanta Falcons) with Monahan and player directors Tiger Woods and Adam Scott among the six individuals conducting interviews.
The eventual CEO hire was expected to come from outside the PGA Tour as the organization continues tap into the expertise of various sports leagues to enhance its presence amid growing competition from rival league LIV Golf. The financial backers of that organization, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, remain in an extended negotiations with the PGA Tour to invest in the for-profit arm and ultimately align interests.
“We’re bringing new perspectives onto our team to help us realize the incredible opportunities ahead for our sport, including launching a search for a CEO of the PGA Tour,” Monahan said in a video released by the PGA Tour last winter. “We can learn so much across the world of sport and entertainment, and I am excited to meet candidates for this important new role.”