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Tiger Woods has been away from the limelight for most of this year. But he is back at the Hero World Challenge this week, not to play but to deliver a message to the players: the PGA Tour is about to change, and in a big way. Woods and Brian Rolapp met with the golfers on Tuesday to discuss a major overhaul coming in 2027. We are looking at a much shorter schedule, and Woods hinted that the changes might upset some golfers. From his explanation and the players’ reactions, we are decoding three standout takeaways about where things are heading.

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1. Top players are still doubtful and unsure of the changes

Woods emphasized that the motivation behind the new structure is simple. It is to build a better product. “This is fan-based. We’re trying to give the fans the best product we possibly can,” he said. “If we’re able to give the fans the best product we can… the financial windfall could be fantastic for everyone who’s involved.”

The proposed changes, which include planning the season around the Super Bowl, removing the Hawaiian swing, and adding more co-sanctioned events with the DP World Tour, are already on the table. But players still seem to be sorting out how it will all affect them.

Jordan Spieth admitted that when the changes were announced, he was confused. “I wasn’t sure once some of the stuff was announced what exactly it meant… There was some ambiguity to it,” he told Golf Channel. While he did praise Woods and Rolapp’s efforts for doing a “good job organizing and being pretty clear about what exactly they’re looking to do,” Spieth added that there “wasn’t a ton of detail” on what exactly is going to happen.

Brian Harman, on the other hand, was a bit more blunt about his opinion. “Change is hard. It’s not fun… In every situation, every decision that you make, there’s going to be people that benefit and people that don’t benefit…” he said. He appreciated that everyone was coming together to support this change, but his words hinted that the outcome of this might not be beneficial to many.

2. Brian Rolapp’s bold ideas are earning player support

One noticeable shift is how players are responding to Brian Rolapp, a key figure driving the new schedule. Despite the scale of his ideas and the massive changes, Rolapp only received support and enthusiasm from the players. Scottie Scheffler was one of them.

During a presser at the Hero World Challenge, Scottie Scheffler said of Rolapp, “He’s got a lot of ideas. He seems very smart and knowledgeable. He’s working really hard. I’ve been very pleased with the conversations that I’ve had with him and the things that I’ve been hearing. I think they’re looking at things the right way, and I’m excited about some of the changes they’re looking to make…”

Scheffler made it clear he trusts the direction Rolapp is pushing the Tour toward. Sure, they may be looking at some drastic changes in the coming few years, but Scheffler believes that the Tour is finally moving toward solutions that make sense.

Even Jordan Spieth voiced his support for Rolapp, stating that communication is finally opening up. It was something players felt was lacking during Jay Monahan’s tenure. “I think they’re going to do a good job communicating that (speaking of the changes)…for players, the biggest thing is just open communication, open dialogue, and no hidden secrets,” Spieth said. “They seem open and willing to tell any member anything that was said last night…”

The Tour planning more meetings at upcoming events is another sign that players are being included more often, something that hasn’t always happened during previous changes on the tour.

3. Some sponsors may be upset, but Tiger Woods says it’s necessary

Tiger Woods made it clear that this would be anything but a smooth process. Cutting or reshaping events means certain tournaments, sponsors, or players will lose out. As Golf Digest put it, “Given all the stakeholders involved, there are going to be hurt feelings and bruised egos. Woods, while again trying to underline that many voices are involved in this decision, did point out the obvious: some folks are not going to be happy…”

But Woods also stressed that transparency is a priority and that the aim is long-term stability. “It’s up to us at the committee to try to put it all together… This is something that’s going to be fantastic for all of the fans, for the players,” he quipped during the meeting.

His message was simple: the Tour can’t keep operating the way it has. And while not everyone will like the coming changes, he believes they’re essential for the future of professional golf.