Tiger Woods Takes Up Pga Role But Unification In Golf Is As Distant As Ever | Ewan Murray

Tiger Woods will chair a recently created PGA Tour committee aimed astatine reshaping golf’s competitory scenery successful nan United States. But comments made by Brian Rolapp, nan Tour’s recently appointed main executive, showed that unification betwixt nan sport’s accepted ecosystem and nan Saudi Arabian-backed LIV circuit is arsenic distant arsenic ever.

Woods, who has not competed since nan 2024 Open Championship because of injury, was nan header sanction erstwhile Rolapp addressed nan media successful Atlanta connected nan eve of nan Tour Championship. Just 3 weeks into office, nan main executive has formed a early title committee that will besides characteristic Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott. Rolapp seems clear that nan tourney scenery has to change.

“The intent of this committee is beautiful simple,” Rolapp explained. “We’re going to creation nan champion master play competitory exemplary successful nan world for nan use of PGA Tour fans, players and their partners. It is aimed astatine a holistic relook of really we compete. That is inclusive of regular season, post-season and off-season.

“We’re going to attraction connected nan improvement of our competitory exemplary and nan corresponding media products and sponsorship elements and exemplary of nan full sport. The extremity is not incremental change. The extremity is important change.”

Creation of a meaningful break betwixt PGA Tour seasons and guarantees that nan astir high-profile players will play successful apical events look logical starting points for Woods.

Press conferences specified arsenic this erstwhile tended to attraction connected advancement connected a woody betwixt nan PGA Tour and Saudi’s Public Investment Fund. A model statement was signed betwixt nan parties successful summertime 2023 pinch nan expected purpose of uniting elite golf. Progress, though, has been slow; nan PGA Tour rejected various concession requests made by nan PIF successful precocious March, successful speech for $1.5bn of investment. Key figures successful this athletics specified arsenic Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka play nether nan LIV banner and are truthful cardinal absentees from nan PGA Tour.

Rolapp admitted he has not held discussions pinch nan PIF. “My superior attraction is going to beryllium connected strengthening nan Tour,” he said. “Blank expanse of insubstantial intends blank expanse of paper. Whatever does that, I’ll prosecute aggressively. That’s really I position it.”

At nan Players Championship 5 months ago, nan PGA Tour’s commissioner Jay Monahan revealed 70% of fans surveyed wanted unification pinch LIV. Rolapp echoed that sentiment successful June. Pressed connected whether he agreed play spectators want to spot nan champion successful nan crippled compete against each different much often, Rolapp appeared to backtrack. He said: “Yeah, play fans want to spot nan champion title imaginable successful nan athletics that they emotion successful a competitory exemplary that makes sense.”

Scottie Scheffler during believe for nan Tour Championship – he has 5 tourney victories truthful acold this year. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

Subsequently challenged connected whether aliases not unification should beryllium a priority, nan main executive seemed to obstruction against “a LIV question”. He added: “I’m going to attraction connected what I tin control. I would connection to you that nan champion postulation of golfers successful nan world are connected nan PGA Tour. I deliberation there’s a bunch of metrics that show that, from rankings to viewership to immoderate you want to pick. I’m going to thin into that and fortify that.

“I will besides opportunity that to nan grade we tin do thing that’s going to further fortify nan PGA Tour, we’ll do that. I’m willing successful exploring immoderate strengthens nan PGA Tour.”

As he seeks to complete a sensational play pinch triumph astatine nan Tour Championship and FedEx Cup, Scottie Scheffler dismissed parallels pinch nan erstwhile imperious Woods. The world No 1 has won 5 times successful 2025, including astatine 2 majors, to abstracted himself arsenic nan ascendant fig successful golf.

“It’s very silly to beryllium compared to Tiger Woods,” Scheffler said. “Tiger is simply a feline that stands unsocial successful nan crippled of play and I deliberation he ever will. Tiger inspired a full procreation of golfers. You’ve grown up watching that feline do what he did week in, week out, it was beautiful astonishing to see.”

Scheffler did in installments Woods pinch a domiciled successful his improvement aft being successful nan 15-time awesome winner’s institution astatine nan 2020 Masters. “I’ve only played 1 information of tourney play pinch Tiger Woods and it wholly changed nan measurement I look astatine really I play tournaments,” Scheffler said.

“I can’t show you nan look connected his look erstwhile we sewage to nan 1st green. I look over, and we’re successful 20th place, benignant of playing, yada, yada, yada, and I look complete and this feline is conscionable locked in. I was taken aback. I was like, beatified smokes. Then we sewage to nan 2nd hole, and he had this spot changeable and he looked astatine it for illustration it was an up-and-down to triumph nan tournament. I’m like: ‘This is incredible. I’ve ne'er seen thing for illustration this earlier successful my life.’”