MIAMI – Tiger Woods has been named on March 6 as vice-chairman of the 13-member board of directors for the newly formed for-profit entity known as PGA Tour Enterprises.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was named chief executive officer of the group, which was formed after the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) investment partner was added in January.
The board will lead commercial activities related to the PGA Tour and focus on driving fan engagement and growth, as well as developing new media, sponsorship and commercial opportunities.
All six player-directors from the PGA Tour policy board will also serve on the Enterprises board, a group that in addition to 15-time Major champion Woods consist of Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson and Jordan Spieth.
Former PGA Tour player Joe Ogilvie was named as a director liaison.
“We are excited to continue to build the PGA Tour as the highest level of competition in professional golf,” the player directors and liaison director said in a joint statement.
“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 fan base. We’re ready to get started.”
Joe Gorder, who is an independent director on the policy board, will round out the United States-based circuit’s representation on the Enterprises board.
The other board members are from SSG, the consortium of US sports team owners who provided an initial US$1.5 billion (S$2 billion) in capital as part of the deal in January to grow the tour.
The four SSG directors are: John Henry, principal owner of Fenway Sports Group; Arthur Blank, owner of the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons; Andrew Cohen, vice-chairman of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets; and Sam Kennedy, a partner in Fenway Sports Group.
Monahan called the announcement of the board members a “milestone”, saying the group have the right expertise and balance to lead the organisation into the future.
“We welcome key SSG members to the leadership team, whose exceptional track records and achievements in global professional sports will lend a wealth of knowledge into the opportunities ahead for the PGA Tour,” said Monahan.
The group and Europe-based DP World Tour are also in talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the backer of rival LIV Golf series, to hammer out a merger deal based on a framework agreement unveiled by Monahan last June.
Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland, the reigning FedEx Cup champion, said the Official World Golf Ranking is devalued given the absence of LIV golfers.
“Rankings are rankings, they’re not objective truth,” Hovland said on March 6, ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida this week.
“They’re created to try to rank people the best they can. Obviously, now when you have a huge chunk of really, really good players who are not getting any ranking points, it definitely devalues that ranking.”
Regardless, the 26-year-old Norwegian said he does not play the game for the rankings.
“At the end of the day, I don’t show up here to try to improve my world ranking.
“I show up because I want to win this tournament and that’s it,” he said. REUTERS
