The restructuring of the PGA Tour, particularly on the business side, continues as evidenced by the announcement on Friday of several key personnel moves within the organization.
The announcement comes approximately a week after players on PGA Tour Champions were informed that the money invested in their pension fund will be reduced going forward.
The moves represent a dramatic restructuring of the tour as new CEO Brian Rolapp to brings his vision to life. The moves, called “seismic” by an industry insider, further illustrate the change at the top.
Commissioner Jay Monahan is scheduled to remain in his position through 2026 but it is clear that Rolapp is moving aggressively as the tour’s new leader and visionary.
Rolapp announced the addition of Dhruv Prasad as the tour’s chief commercial officer and Paul Hicks as executive vice president, strategic communications and public policy, two newcomers to the tour who will report directly to Rolapp.
Additionally, chief marketing officer Andy Weitz’s role within the organization has been expanded to include leadership of all content creation and production, as well as analytics, research and technology to further increase focus on fan engagement and brand building. Weitz will also be in charge of an integrated PGA Tour Studios team that is responsible for social, digital, original and studio content and more.
Neera Shetty, the tour’s chief legal officer, will have additional administrative oversight on an interim basis as the tour evaluates its long-term structure.
“Since day one, I have been committed to taking the steps necessary to achieve sustainable success for the PGA Tour,” Rolapp said in a statement. “During my first 90 days in the role, we have identified opportunities to further integrate our teams and add new capabilities to accelerate our growth—for the benefit of our fans, players and partners.
“Dhruv and Paul bring specific experience that will complement our existing team and further strengthen key functions within the organization, and Andy and Neera will help further integrate our operations and elevate the Tour in their expanded roles.”
Prasad joins the tour from the NFL, where Rolapp previously worked. Prasad, who will oversee multiple business units for the tour, most recently served as senior vice president of business development and strategic investments for the NFL, overseeing the league’s media and content partnerships as well as its investment platform.
Hicks joins the tour from FGS Global where he helped lead the firm’s global sports initiatives following his time as EVP of communications and public affairs for the NFL.
The tour also announced that chief administration officer Allison Keller and chief commercial officer Rick Anderson will retire at the end of the year while Len Brown will take on a new role as special advisor to the tour.
Earlier this year, the tour announced it was offering buyout packages to employees as it continues its restructuring related to the creation of the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises and the injection of $1.5 billion in private equity from the Strategic Sports Group.
Further evidence of the changes underway at the tour is the decision (first reported by Golfweek) to cut the pension fund from $10 million to $8 million for eligible players on the PGA Tour Champions.
Ron Green Jr.