Brian Rolapp wants all eyes on the PGA Tour. And he’s doing everything he can to make that happen. Even if that means pushing the beginning of the season back by a month and a half. Just so the Super Bowl doesn’t distract the American audience. Seems like a good plan, doesn’t it? Well, Kevin Van Valkenburg doesn’t think it is.

“I do think professional golf needs to be careful about emulating the NFL in every aspect,” the Fried Egg Golf analyst said. Not everything that worked for the NFL might work in the PGA Tour, according to him. Golf isn’t played between 32 teams every year, unlike the NFL. It’s an individual sport that relies on superstars. And they need more events to prove themselves.

A team can still recover after losing a match in the NFL. Not winning on the PGA Tour can lead to a drop in OWGR. Pros can lose their position from majors. They can miss out on Signature events. Some may even get relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour. Especially with the memberships cut short to 100 from 2026. The risk factor is higher.

Valkenburg also discussed the prospect of the PGA Tour emulating the NFL’s model. “What happens when Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are facing off for the 13th time this season, both of them have one eye on the Open Championship, and they’re mentally fried from three straight weeks of contention?” Kevin questioned.

By the time they play The Open, Scheffler & McIlroy would have certainly competed in many events already. Unlike the NFL, they can face each other frequently throughout the season. Golf can’t market the rivalry like the NFL could probably promote the battle between the Packers & the Bears. And the PGA Tour will lose its two biggest ticket sellers if they get burned out.

So what can the PGA Tour CEO do instead? Perhaps the answer lies in the outcry of the community.

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What do the fans expect from Brian Rolapp?

The big change proposed by Brian Rolapp shocked the fans. They were not on board with the schedule change. “Not a fan of this at all,” some said, as they clarified their stance against the plan. Instead, some of them had one thing to say: “Fix the current broken tour!”

The shortened field size, fewer memberships, and smaller window of opportunities have not won many fans. Granted, it wasn’t Brian Rolapp’s idea to begin with. But he has to work his way around it. The PGA Tour already lost its season-opening Signature event in 2026, The Sentry. And they might also lose the Sony Open in 2027 after their contract runs out next year.

The PGA Tour won’t visit Hawaii in 2027 if either of those issues isn’t resolved. So Rolapp certainly has many more things to resolve than worrying about competing with the NFL schedule at the moment.