The PGA Tour announced on Wednesday, March 6, the integration of the Board of Directors of PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit venture that was born from the agreement, with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG). Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay head the group.
The news was announced on the PGA Tour's official website. As reported, the Board of Directors of PGA Tour Enterprises has 13 members and all the Player Directors of the circuit's Policy Board are part of it.
It is a group that includes Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay, as well as Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, and Jordan Spieth.
The Policy Board has established the position of "Director Liaison" to accommodate the demanding schedules of Player Directors, who also manage their sporting careers.
Former PGA Tour player Joe Ogilvy was appointed as "Director Liaison" and will join the PGA Tour Policy Board as a Player Director and also as a member of the PGA Tour Enterprises Board.
Other directors who will double as PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises boards are Independent Director Joe Gorder and Commissioner Jay Monahan.
The other four members of the PGA Tour Enterprises Board will be SSG representatives. They are John W. Henry (Fenway Sports Group), Arthur M. Blank (owner and chairman, AMB Sports and Entertainment), Andrew B. Cohen (chief investment officer and co-founder, Cohen Private Ventures), and Sam Kennedy (partner/managing director, Fenway Sports Group).
The Board of the new venture will be led by a chairman, to be elected at an upcoming meeting. It has already been reported that Jay Monahan will serve as CEO, while Tiger Woods will serve as Vice Chairman.
What's next for PGA Tour Enterprises?
No schedule of the next steps for PGA Tour Enterprises has been made public so far. However, from the statements of the members of the new Board, it is clear that commercial growth will be the center of focus.
This was part of what Monahan said (via PGA Tour news service):
"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. Their expertise will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the success and growth of our commercial initiatives."
The Player Directors issued the following joint statement (via the PGA Tour news service):
“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 fanbase."
On the SSG side, Henry had this to say (via PGA Tour news service):
"Our role on the Enterprises Board will focus on hearing Player Director ideas and working alongside them to ensure the sport’s commercial growth occurs in a way that creates the best possible product for fans."
The emergence of this new company was announced at the end of January 2024, as a result of the agreement between the PGA Tour and SSG.