Tiger Woods is joining the PGA Tour policy board for the first time, becoming a sixth player director, it was announced on Tuesday.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and the Tour’s player members, Player Directors and Player Advisory Council members announced a new agreement “to ensure that the Tour lives up to its mission of being a player-driven organization, ‘for the players, by the players.'”
With Woods joining the board, the Tour will have a total of 12 board members — six player directors, five independent directors and one director representing the PGA of America.
“He takes the future of the PGA Tour very seriously and he wants it to be in the best hands possible and it to be in the best position possible,” Justin Thomas said. “I think it would be very easy for someone like him, all he’s done, just kind of like what do I need to do, I’ve made the Tour what it is, where it’s at financially, all the sponsors, TV deals whatever, and it would be pretty easy for him to just hide under a rock the rest of his life and be just fine. But that’s not who he is, he wants to continue to see the PGA Tour grow and succeed.”
The current Board includes Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson; independent directors Chairman Ed Herlihy, Jimmy Dunne, Mark Flaherty, Mary Meeker and a to-be-announced replacement for Randall Stephenson; and the PGA of America Director John Lindert.
According to a press release, player leaders joined together to “uphold the Tour’s core principles” and ask that certain steps be taken immediately, and Monahan has agreed to support the players and their requests.
As such, the players and Commissioner Monahan will work together to amend the Policy Board’s governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made in the future without the prior involvement and approval of the player directors. In other words, no more secretive bombshell deals such as the June 6 announcement of the Framework Agreement that the Tour and Saudi Arabia’s PIF were forming a new entity to combine their commercial interests.
Second, the player directors’ special advisor, Colin Neville, will be fully aware of the state of the negotiations contemplated by the Framework Agreement, and Neville will be provided with full access to any documents or information that he requests as being necessary for him to carry out his duties on behalf of the players.
The player directors have been promised full transparency and the authority to approve — or to decline to approve — any potential changes to the Tour as part of the Framework Agreement discussions. Woods had remained largely silent since the controversial deal was announced in June.
“I am honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement. “This is a critical point for the Tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in Tour operations are in the best interest of all Tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players. The players thank Commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns, and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love. He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”
“Tiger’s voice and leadership throughout his career have contributed immeasurably to the success of the PGA Tour, and to apply both to our governance and go-forward plan at this crucial time is even more welcomed and impactful,” said Monahan. “I am committed to taking the necessary steps to restore any lost trust or confidence that occurred as a result of the surprise announcement of our Framework Agreement. My job in the negotiations – in partnership with our player directors, PAC and the broader membership – is to advocate for what is best for the PGA Tour members today and in the future. Any agreement we reach must be shaped by our members’ input and approval earned through our player directors.”
According to the Tour-issued release, the following players expressed their support for these changes: Woods, Cantlay, Hoffman, Malnati, McIlroy, Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Kevin Kisner, Billy Horschel, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman, Tom Kim, Tony Finau, Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Tyrrell Hatton, Jason Day, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, Henrik Norlander, Ryan Armour, Brice Garnett, Kevin Streelman and Tommy Fleetwood.
