The PGA TOUR announced a shakeup within its ranks, with the PGA TOUR Enterprises announcing it will feature 13 members on its Board. The board will be comprised of nine PGA Tour Directors: seven players and four members from the Strategic Sports Group (SSG).
As constructed, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods are the seven players on the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board of Directors. Additionally, former player Joe Ogilvie and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will also be on the board, completing the PGA Tour’s representation.
From the SSG, the four directors will be John W. Henry, the manager of SSG; Arthur M. Blank, the co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team; Andrew B. Cohen, vice chairman of the New York Mets; and Sam Kennedy, the president of the Boston Red Sox.
Together, the 13 men will attempt to grow the PGA TOUR to a larger audience on a handful of fronts. “The new Board … will lead all commercial activities related to the PGA TOUR and will focus on driving fan engagement and growth, as well as developing new media, sponsorship and commercial opportunities,” the PGA TOUR’s press release stated.
Ogilvie, who was chosen by the Player Directors to be a “Director Liaison” due to the immense time commitment needed to be on both the PGA TOUR Policy Board and the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board, explained how the group is ready to get started and embark on a new future for the PGA TOUR.
“We are excited to continue to build the PGA TOUR as the highest level of competition in professional golf,” the statement read. “It’s an opportunity for us to shape something special that will not only create more value for the PGA TOUR, but will also benefit and grow our fanbase. We’re ready to get started.”
For Spieth, it will be an eventful handful of months as he recently replaced Rory McIlroy on the PGA TOUR Policy Board after McIlroy resigned from his position. The other Player Directors elected Spieth to take McIlroy’s place and now finds himself as a member of the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board.
Meanwhile, Woods will be the Vice Chairman of the PGA TOUR Enterprises Board, with a chairman being elected in an upcoming meeting. On the other hand, Henry added that the role of the members of SSG would be to help the Player Directors in their vision for what will help grow the game.
“Our role on the Enterprises Board will focus on hearing Player Director ideas and working alongside them to ensure the sport’s commercial growth occurs in a way that creates the best possible product for fans,” Henry’s statement read. “All of us at Strategic Sports Group see a bright future for the PGA TOUR and the constitution of the Enterprises Board is an important first step in realizing that future.”
The PGA TOUR recently partnered with SSG as a result of its deal to merge with LIV Golf via the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia hitting snags, thus creating the PGA TOUR Enterprises. The deal is reportedly worth £31billion and allows the members of the PGA Tour to become equity holders in the company, drastically increasing their earnings.
In the end, players are said to be able to gain access to over £1 billion in equity from the new enterprise. The grants will be based on career accomplishments, recent achievements, future participation, services, and PGA TOUR membership status and will vest as time goes on.
Source: Mirror
