MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A group of 41 players – including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm – sent a letter to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan last week asking, among other things, for Tiger Woods to be appointed to the circuit’s 11-member policy board. Given the complexities of various negotiations in recent months, it was the easiest of choices for the commissioner.
“I couldn’t say yes fast enough, because he’s essentially been, in a certain way, in that role behind the scenes,” Monahan said Wednesday at TPC Southwind in a meeting with reporters. “I think it’s a tremendous statement, and it gives our players great confidence to know that he’s in that spot.”
Woods was named to the board as part of the new transparency and governance measures players had requested following last month’s announcement of a framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
Woods became the sixth player director on the board, a move that clearly shifted the majority on the board to the players as the circuit progresses toward a possible definitive agreement to create a for-profit entity that would include the Tour, LIV Golf and the European tour.
“Tiger Woods doesn’t do anything lightly, and so he’s going to be very involved. He already is, and I expect as we go forward that will only continue,” Monahan said. “He brings a level of accountability to what he does every single day, and I think he’ll bring a level of accountability to us alongside his fellow player directors that will ultimately get us to the right place.”
The addition of Woods to the board was particularly encouraging for McIlroy, who is also a player director and has been the Tour’s default spokesman in the circuit’s ongoing turf war with LIV Golf.
“It’s a great addition,” McIlroy said. “The player over the last 20 years that’s left the biggest legacy on the game, for him to be involved in the discussions around the future of professional golf and what that may look like I think is very important.
“Tiger has stepped up for all of us on Tour, and I think he realizes that the players that are on the policy board were trying to play regular golf, and at the same time try to navigate all these different things, as well. He’s maybe got a little more time on his hands than we do.”
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