Ever since Brian Rolapp became the new CEO, the PGA Tour has been entirely focused on product growth and development. He has already introduced many changes that are set up to correct the mistakes his predecessor, Jay Monahan, made during his tenure at the helm. However, that is one thing that Rolapp is not too eager about, and that’s the PIF-PGA Tour merger. And a former PGA Tour employee is not quite impressed with the new CEO’s approach to it.

Jimmy Dunne, a former PGA Tour Policy Board Member, recently joined CNBC for a special interview. He was asked what had happened between him and the PGA Tour that led to his resignation. Back in 2024, Dunne had quit his position on the Tour because he didn’t see any “meaningful progress” in the merger. A strong supporter of the merger, he said, “If you wanted to see a deal done, probably the worst day was when the chairman Ed Herlihy and I resigned. We could have gotten a deal done.”

Dunne had the reputation of being a power broker on Wall Street. Herlihy, on the other hand, was primarily assisting the PGA Tour in navigating the legal complexities with the Saudi-based promotion. So, both individuals were heavily involved in the merger conversation. However, the lack of progress in the conversation put them in a peculiar position, and all they could do was quit to avoid any further issues.

Speaking of the current situation with the new CEO, Dunne added, “Maybe they shouldn’t get a deal done. Right now, the tour is in pretty good shape. LIV seems to be doing what they want to do. I think it’s just going to go on like this for a while.” He believes that neither the PGA Tour nor LIV Golf needs to rely on the other. The American League still has some of the top talents like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. LIV has also become self-sustainable over time.

He believes, if there was a time the PIF-PGA Tour merger could have happened, “It should have been before the British Open in 23.” Before the 2023 Open Championship, the PGA Tour had questioned the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States whether it could legally enter into a deal with LIV Golf to formulate a merger. The CFIUS reviewed their application, and they received confirmation to proceed. However, as everyone knows, that didn’t lead to anything, and Dunne and Herlihy ultimately resigned. After working so hard to curate the negotiation, we can understand why Jimmy is still frustrated that it didn’t happen.

Having said that, Brian Rolapp himself has never shown much interest in merging with LIV Golf’s funding organization. He and his team have always kept their focus on improving the PGA Tour. So, what does he suggest, as revealed in the latest press conference?

Brian Rolapp’s plan for the PGA Tour doesn’t include a future with PIF

In Brian Rolapp’s recent press conference, one thing was abundantly evident: the PIF-PGA Tour merger is not a priority for him and his team at the moment. Instead, he would like to build a stronger bond with the DP World Tour. He is also primarily focused on strengthening the PGA Tour and catering to the best golfers in the world.

He has been constantly cleaning up a lot of mess that Jay Monahan had created over the last few years as well. Issues such as the pace of play, the broadcasting troubles, and the unused funds from the SSG have been questioned by the golf community recently. And Rolapp has slowly answered most of those questions. Fans saw the PGA Tour use a new ‘Pace Chart’ during the broadcast of the BMW Championship.

That may not have resolved the pace of play issue, but it showed that Rolapp was experimenting with something new in broadcast. He’s also being patient in using the $1.5 billion SSG funds carefully to ensure they are utilized to improve the PGA Tour product. We can certainly say that Brian Rolapp is doing a lot more to improve the PGA Tour than just trying to curate a deal with PIF and push the merger with LIV Golf further.