LIV Golf was the last thing running in Brian Rolapp’s mind when he first joined as the CEO of the PGA Tour. He was committed to improving the quality of the product that the Tour had to offer. Nine months later, with the Saudi-based league facing bankruptcy, Rolapp’s views on it have drastically changed.

“I think competition makes everybody stronger,” Rolapp told Dan Patrick on his podcast. He added, “There was a narrative that LIV wasn’t competition. It was. It was competing for people’s attention and time. Certainly, competing for players before I got here.”

LIV Golf has certainly had a huge influence on the PGA Tour. Since the league’s introduction, Jay Monahan was forced to launch Signature events with purses worth $20 million. The prize money for regular events has also increased over the years. Moreover, the PIP bonuses were introduced to ensure the top talent stays loyal to the league.

LIV Golf has certainly recruited quite a few PGA Tour stars over the years. Two of the biggest names on LIV Golf, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, initially found success on the Tour. But it’s not like Rolapp himself hasn’t been able to poach a few of them back.

Patrick Reed is yearning to return to the Tour later this year. Brooks Koepka has been back since January 2026 after ending his contract early. And with the Saudi-based league struggling to find funding, Rolapp & Co. might be able to bring a few other stars back.

However, the PGA Tour CEO has been hesitant to discuss the issue. Considering how complex the situation can get, there are multiple risks involved in saying too much too soon. We did provide different pathways Rolapp can build for every talent in the LIV Golf roster, should they fail to survive beyond 2026. That said, Rolapp did draw parallels between the current situation in golf and his previous employers.

“I’ve said it often, golf had their NFL-AFL moment. They just had it late. Is the NFL better because of the AFL? I think so. I don’t think it’s the modern NFL without it. I think they got that right and sort of pushed the PGA Tour to get better. I think that had a lasting impact.”

The American Football League was founded in 1959 to rival the already established NFL. After seven years of a grueling rivalry and bidding wars over the best footballing talent in the United States, they finally merged in 1966. By 1970, they were completely unified, and football only had one home in the United States once again. Rolapp believes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are going through a similar battle. And he provided a unique solution.

Unification might not be something both Tours agree to at the moment. But all the fans want them to pit their best players against each other. And Rolapp might be building towards that.

Brian Rolapp’s plans for the future of the PGA Tour might be aligned with his desire to bring the best golfers together

The 2027 season of the PGA Tour has received a lot of mixed reviews so far. Fans are not pleased that the schedule is being cut down to 20-25 events. However, the idea of intense competition is also pleasing them. Brian Rolapp has also discussed that the Tour will have a tier system where different levels of talent will only get access to certain levels of events.

Judging by his plans, it seems that Rolapp is slowly building towards specific models that serve elite golfers. And when the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, & Co. are separated from the rest, the PGA Tour CEO might be planning to change things up.

“I think we can create a competitive model where the best show up, and they show up because they want to play against the best. And they are working towards a post-season that awards the best. We will have a set of really compelling tournaments where almost all the top 120 guys show up, and they are competing in a model that is a lot easier to understand than today.”

The plan seems to be clear: whether the LIV Golf players join the PGA Tour or not, Rolapp wants them to play alongside his roster in a competitive model of events. It will be interesting to see when that might happen.