“The goal is not incremental change. The goal is significant change,” were Brian Rolapp‘s words when he assumed office as the PGA Tour’s CEO earlier this year. Since then, Rolapp has stayed true to his words, with massive schedule changes and a new Trump field signature event. In just a matter of time, Rolapp has positioned himself as someone not afraid of taking bold decisions. Naturally, that’s sparked plenty of ideas from people around the sport. One suggestion, though, is getting the most attention, about bringing the PGA Championship back to August.

This change is more of a readjustment to the previous schedule. Before 2019, the month of August hosted the major, when the Tour shifted the dates to May. Former ESPN anchor, Trey Wingo, also showed contempt for that move. However, as soon as Rolapp moved into office, famously known for his groundshifting work at the NFL, Wingo knew the Tour was up for unapologetic changes to make the ‘product better.’

But Wingo has only one suggestion for the new CEO. “As soon as Brian got the job, I said, ‘Brian, you’ve got to move the PGA Championship back to August,'” Wingo shared on the Straight Facts Homie podcast. The reason? It’s deeper than just the traditional restoration of the schedule. Rather, he suggested that putting all the majors together created a painful drought for the rest of the season. Imagine the last major of the season being in July. With a nine-month hiatus before action resumes at Augusta for the Masters, fans lose the heat and momentum of the majors. That impacts fan engagement drastically.

“It is ridiculous for all golf fans to watch what Scottie Scheffler did at the Open and see the fact that he won his four majors 1,197 days apart, the exact same time frame it was from Tiger Woods’ first major to his fourth major, and we don’t get to see where Scottie can go for nine more months until the next major in Augusta in April. That is patently ridiculous,” Wingo explained.

Wingo knows the PGA Tour’s competition committee is in just the right hands for the changes. Who’s that figure? None other than the legendary icon, Tiger Woods. Wingo believes that Woods would see eye-to-eye with him on this matter. “Listen to what the Big Cat says. And I guarantee he’s going to say we can’t have the majors end in July,” Wingo shared his perspective.

So what should the Tour do instead? Keep the Players Championship in March, followed by the Masters in April. However, instead of finishing the season’s four majors in a single stretch, Wingo proposes moving it further down the road. Now, August has a history of hosting the event. But either way, a later date for the event would ensure better TV ratings and fan engagement. Given its weaker prestige among the majors, that move seems to be a must to revive the event.

“But are you going to tell me you can find a plethora, or even a high percentage, of players that will say the PGA Championship is on the same plane as the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship? If they say that, that’s the only major they’ve won, okay? Because they’re not being truthful,” Wingo argued. And if we’re being honest, there’s some truth to it. Yes, the PGA Championship is also a major. But at the same level? Debatable.

Moving it further down the road makes it appear as the final chance to grab a major before the season ends. That alone would boost its prestige and make the PGA Championship feel more meaningful. It’s no surprise, then, that many in the golf world are pushing back against its current May slot.

The golf world strongly opposes the PGA Championship’s May slot

It’s safe to say Trey Wingo is not the only proponent of the major schedule’s readjustment. While Wingo argued that weather constraints played a role, with May being “freaking cold” for the PGA Championship, there’s more than one voice backing it up. In an article by Golf Monthly, the author shared the overwhelming fan responses they received since the August shift.

The authorities reasoned that avoiding a clash with the NFL season was one of its major reasons. That didn’t click with the golfing community, who argued that August timing was more exciting. The thrill of the “final major” of the season took it to another level. Moreover, some fans mentioned how it affected participation from club professionals in the northern regions, who had less time to prepare.

“I believe that the it (the PGA Championship) will always be bad if it’s played in May. One of the things I love most about the PGA is the occasional run to the leaderboard of a club professional,” one fan emailed the author. “For virtually all club pros north of the Mason-Dixon Line, there isn’t enough time for them to hone their game. Moreover, they are busy with their duties, preparing their courses for member’s play.”

This is just one of the many people who flooded in with their disapproval. Even the author themselves noted the August slot to be a better overall timing for the PGA Championship. Needless to say, the resistance is massive.

How has the management responded? Well, much to the fans’ frustration, they didn’t budge. PGA of America’s CEO, Seth Waugh, dismissed any date changes, arguing that he and his colleagues were happy with the date.

“I think it’s been amazing,” said Waugh. “You now have one major a month for four months and then obviously the tour gets to finish with our FedEx Cup. There’s a lot more logic to it.

“It also speaks to what we do. It’s the beginning of the season in a lot of the country and so to talk about who we are and what our professionals do every year in terms of, you know, ‘opening day’ for golf is another bonus for us.”

Waugh argued that in terms of TV ratings, they haven’t noted any significant drops. As per him, the major did better in May than in its August slot. That put a stop to all expectations last year. But now with Brian Rolapp heading the office, golf fans might see a schedule change sooner or later.