Tiger Woods explains why the PGA Tour is weighing a drastic change for its future

Tiger Woods signaled that a major schedule transformation is coming to the PGA Tour, and soon.

After Harris English remarked about a 20-event tour calendar at the RSM Classic, Golf Digest reported on the machinations, people and vision behind wholesale changes to the tour with the arrival of new CEO Brian Rolapp. One of those people playing an integral part in this discussions is Woods, who is a member of the Future Competitions Committee. On Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge, Woods asserted why these changes are necessary to the tour’s health. RELATED: How real is the possibility of a 20-event PGA Tour season? Explaining the future of the new tour “Well, this is fan based. We're trying to give the fans the best product we possibly can, and if we're able to give the fans the best product we can, I think we can make the players who have equity in the tour, we can give them more of that,” Woods said at the Bahamas event. “So the financial windfall could be fantastic for everyone who's involved.”

As Golf Digest reported, some of the big-ticket items of a new theoretical schedule would include a later start to the season—specifically, right before or after the Super Bowl to avoid competing with the NFL’s playoffs—the loss of the Hawaiian swing, a two-tiered system and more overlap with the DP World Tour on co-sanctioned events. Why this is happening now is nuanced. Rolapp has preached scarcity, and the idea that the tour’s schedule is bloated is far from new. Additionally, the tour’s private-equity investment, the Strategic Sports Group, is looking to recoup its funding—especially if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and its $1.5 billion will no longer be a part of the tour’s future—and one avenue to achieve that would be reducing the schedule.

Woods did not get into specifics during his press conference, only mentioning the FCC has gone through numerous concepts.

“We're trying to figure out what is the best schedule possible so we can create the best fields and have the most viewership and also the most fan involvement and what does that look like,” Woods said. “A lot of that, as you know, that's one of the reasons why we quit playing in September and October and even early November back when I was playing in my early days at the Tour Championship, there's this thing with the shield that's out there that's influential. Looking at different timetables of when we start and finish, different tent poles throughout the year and what that might look like.

“We have some incredibly smart player directors, some independents and some leaders that have led in change in other sports. So trying to pull all of that together with Brian's leadership and stewardship, that's what we're trying to implement all these different things. Again, create a product that players want to be involved in, will be involved in, they're excited to be a part of and the fans and all of our partners at all of our events and all the people that are involved in the sport, that this is a better product.”

There are numerous hurdles that remain for any potential changes: how to satisfy existing media deals while negotiating new ones, working with tournament sponsors (especially those endorsing an event that may see a relegation of sorts), the fact that Rolapp is so new to the space, and the background threat of LIV Golf. Woods said that the FCC is not working in a vacuum, attempting to get everyone that could be involved or affected.

“I think we've had three different meetings, we've got one coming up here. We've torn down and looked at so many different models,” Woods said. “It's been a lot. We've talked to title sponsors, we talked to CMOs, we talked to tournament directors, we talked to media partners, we've talked to a lot of different people and taken a lot in of what they would like to see.

“Then it's up to us at the committee to try to put it all together and try to make it work and keep the players informed to what possibly could happen. And we want their opinions as well. We're being very transparent with all of this. That's something that we've been very adamant and I've been very adamant before about this process is the transparency side of it. This is something that's going to be fantastic for all of the fans, for the players. As I said, it could be a financial windfall for everyone.”

Given all the stakeholders involved, there are going to be hurt feelings and bruised egos. Woods, while again trying to underline many voices are involved in this decision, did point out the obvious: some folks are not going to be happy.

“To be honest with you, we started with a blank slate, what would the best product we can possibly create, what would it look like, OK? So you take a white sheet of paper and you start throwing ideas out there, and there's like a thousand ideas on this board,” Woods said. “Then you add in all the people that we interviewed and what would they like to see and you throw all those up there. Then we start talking to the players, what would they like to see, how can players can have the promotion relegation, how can we have more player equity involvement. These are all things that we're trying to include and all the things that we're trying to change. Yes, there's going to be some eggs that are spilled and crushed but -- and broken, but I think that in the end we're going to have a product that is far better than what we have now for everyone involved.”

When English spoke last month, he mentioned the changes could be coming as early as 2027. As Golf Digest noted, that timeline seemed ambitious. Woods himself spoke of changes coming in ’27-28; when asked a follow-up if 2027 was possible, Woods simply said the group is trying to reach that date.

“We are trying to do that in the best way possible so we can introduce this in '27,” Woods said. “Hopefully we get there, hopefully we get to that point. We're working with all of our partners to create the best schedule and product to deliver all that in '27 is something we're trying to do. I don't know if we can get there, I don't know if we will get there, but that's what we're trying to do.”

Woods, who sounds like he’s nowhere closer to a competitive playing return after his latest surgery, was asked why he choose to help Rolapp with reshaping the tour’s future. “The PGA Tour gave me an opportunity to chase after a childhood dream. I got a chance to hit my first ball in my first PGA Tour event when I was 16 years old,” Woods said. “I know that's what, 33 years ago, but I've been involved with the PGA Tour ever since then. A little kid from Cypress California growing up on a par 3 course got a chance to play against the best players in the world and make it to World No. 1.

“I got a chance to be involved in a lot of different things on our tour. This is a different opportunity to make an impact on the tour. I did it with my golf clubs, I made a few putts here and there and was able to do that. Now I am able to make an impact in a different way for other generations to come. Not just generations that I played against, but for future generations like a 16-year-old looking for a place to play.”