Tiger Woods joins the PGA Tour Policy Board
There have been some changes to the PGA Tour Policy Board, with Tiger Woods adding the Player Directors involved…
Tiger Woods has joined the PGA Tour Policy Board as a player director.
The PGA Tour has announced a new agreement to make sure that the tour maintains it’s player-driven focus.
“For the player, by the players” is the mission.
And 15-time major champion Woods has agreed to join the policy board as part of the new governance measures in the agreement.
Woods becomes the sixth player director on the policy board – joining Patrick Cantlay, Charlie Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson.
“I am honoured to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods stated. “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 [Jay] 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.”
The Board also includes five independent directors, including Jimmy Dunne and a soon-to-be-announced replacement for Randall Stephenson. The PGA of America Director, John Lindert, is the final member of the policy board.
A PGA Tour statement said Monahan had agreed to support the players and their requests, with player leaders joining together to “uphold the Tour’s core principles”.
“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,” Monahan said.
“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, Player Advisory Council 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.”
That statement said no major decision can be made in the future without the approval of the player directors. This follows the surprising merger announcement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
It added that player directors will be given full transparency, and will also have the authority to approve or decline any changes to the Tour as part of those framework agreement discussions.
Reacting to the news in his Wyndham Championship press conference, Justin Thomas said: “Yeah, I’m obviously excited to have Tiger on behalf of the players. I mean, I know that he takes it very seriously.
“Obviously his relationship with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and what they did to basically create the PGA Tour, kind of what it is now.
“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.”
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Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
