Brian Rolapp’s tenure so far as PGA Tour CEO has been controversial. His decisions to make the Tour better have garnered both praise and criticism. But now he’s found a powerful ally in the world’s No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. The golfer’s comments at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational prove it.

“As far as [I know] Mr. Rolapp, I think he’s a guy that just kind of gets things done. Like that was my first impression of him. I met him last year at one of the playoff events. We sat down, and it was just like getting right into it. He started asking questions, and we started talking. It was like no nonsense, like, ‘We got an hour; let’s make the most of this hour.’ I loved it. I loved his demeanor. So he seems like just kind of like a no-BS guy, just get in there, and let’s get to work and figure this thing out,” Scheffler told the media.

“You look at a situation like Brooks. That was something that Brooks had a desire to come back to the Tour, and Rolapp was like, ‘Okay, he wants to come back; let’s figure out how to do this,’ and then got it done in a pretty quick fashion,” Scheffler added.

What made Rolapp actually different was that he never promoted himself over time. This is where things started changing. The most visible demonstration of Rolapp’s efficiency was the return of five-time major champion Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour after he left LIV, stating his need to prioritize family more. The timeline of Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour was remarkably swift.

Just 19 minutes after news of Koepka’s LIV exit, the PGA Tour released a pointed statement. Within weeks, the CEO implemented the ‘Returning Member Program,’ a tactical olive branch designed to bring back not just Koepka but other elites, too. Rolapp is doing much more than just bringing back golfers.

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He has established a Future Competition Committee (FCC), chaired by Tiger Woods, to rethink the Tour’s holistic model. They are working on a “scarcity model” to make every single tournament special with fewer players but more competitiveness. He wants to finish the season by Labor Day to avoid the NFL clash, as it will elevate the fan experience, with them not having to choose between two sports.

Nobody knows how the changes will affect the Tour and the fans, but at least #1 is excited about them. Scottie Scheffler isn’t the only one who noticed Rolapp’s work ethic. Several others have, too.

A unanimous insider told Golf.com, “He’s [Rolapp] bringing so much credibility. He’s the number two guy at, by far, the most successful sports league in this country. Obviously, his challenges will be bigger than what he’s done in the past. But he’s smart, he’s a good listener, and he’s really well-liked and personable.”

Rolapp, 52, enters the PGA Tour after years as the most important deputy in pro sports, the right-hand man to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the media whiz responsible for media deals worth over $110 billion. He was also instrumental in moving major products like ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ to YouTube. He arrived at the NFL as an executive at NFL Media in 2003 and climbed the ladder steadily and was promoted six times in his tenure over the 22 years.

While Scheffler is praising Rolapp, not everyone seems to admire his ideas and ways.

Not everyone feels as strongly about Brian Rolapp as Scottie Scheffler

“If you had told me that I could have gone for a year and a half, made a boatload of money, and then been able to come back and play on the Tour, I think almost everyone would have done that,” said Wyndham Clark on Koepka’s return.

It’s not just Wyndham Clark who called out Rolapp’s decision to bring Koepka back. Several others showed their frustrations. An anonymous pro discussed that the ninety-million-dollar penalty for Brooks is a big lie.

Even Brandel Chamblee was among the most vocal ones who argued that the ‘frictionless’ return for Koepka undermines the meritocratic foundation of the Tour. After all, Koepka was a marquee legitimizer of LIV Golf.

The same goes for Rolapp’s decision on the schedule change.

“It’s just a shame that more people won’t speak out. I know many people don’t like it. I know a lot of people who have benefited from it—myself included—who don’t like it. But there’s just so much money being given away that nobody’s going to say anything,” said Lucas Glover of the probable changes in the schedule.

Glover didn’t hesitate to call out the shallow and financial outlook of the PGA Tour and accused the leadership of hiding real motives. Several others, like Brian Harman, a member of the Player Advisory Council, also pointed out the delusions.

At the end, what everyone knows for sure is that Rolapp is applying a cold and hard business logic to a game built on tradition.