December 18 – The PGA Tour’s C-suite is going to get a little bigger.
Commissioner Jay Monahan revealed Tuesday that the tour plans to hire a CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises, its for-profit wing established last year.
Monahan shared the news during a town hall meeting Tuesday morning and in a video directed to fans published on social media.
Monahan, among the highest-paid commissioners in American pro sports at $23 million last year, will keep his job and help lead the search for the CEO.
“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. “We can learn so much from across the world of sport and entertainment, and I’m excited to meet candidates for this important new role.”
Arthur Blank — owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and chair of PGA Tour Enterprises’ management, development and compensation committee — will also sit on the search committee, along with player directors Tiger Woods and Adam Scott and others.
The role figures to be crucial as the tour navigates its negotiations with LIV Golf and its financial backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The PIF is reportedly nearing a deal to purchase a minority stake in PGA Tour Enterprises.
Monahan also said in his video that “everything is on the table” as the tour seeks ways to evolve its product, including “looking hard at new formats that make our game even more engaging.”