AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tuesday at the 90th Masters brought more discussions around the PGA Tour’s planned schedule changes, as well as the pressure facing the tour to deliver more details when CEO Brian Rolapp meets with the media in late June at the Travelers Championship. Rolapp announced his bold intentions in August at the Tour Championship and gave what was mostly viewed as a positive update at last month’s Players Championship.
While Rolapp announced his plan for a two-track tour in March, many felt it was still light on specific details. And golf sources continue to suggest that the planned changes are taking shape slower than originally expected due to the tour’s complicated makeup across sponsorships, television and event logistics.
“It’s not a 17-game schedule,” one source quipped Tuesday.
Some of those potential changes may have been bandied about on Tuesday, as sources said the Five Families of golf -- Augusta National, the USGA, the PGA Tour, PGA of America and R&A -- held a closed-door meeting in Augusta. The agenda of the meeting wasn’t known.
Battle of the billboards
Golf’s two most noteworthy luxury timepiece companies have a bit of a standoff going on just outside the gates of Augusta National this week. Defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy is an Omega ambassador and has a dedicated billboard, but it’s on the other side of Washington Road from the golf course. That’s because a handful of Rolex ambassadors and former Masters winners, including Jon Rahm and Adam Scott, have their own billboards on club property.
Oak tree happenings
Augusta National every fall confirms new members -- by invitation only. One of those was revealed on Tuesday as a group of excited executives greeted Peter Millar CEO Scott Mahoney in his trim-fitting new Green Jacket.
Among the executives and personalities who were spotted just outside Augusta National’s clubhouse on Tuesday.
Agencies: The Team’s Andy Bilodeau, Taylor Ives, Terry Reilly, Ian Keenan and Chris Mullhaupt; GSE Worldwide’s Brett Falkoff, Mike Creasy and Kevin Canning; WME’s Jay Danzi and Alistair Johnston; Excel Sports Management’s Andrew Kipper, Kevin Hopkins, Jon Heaton and Alex Burge; Sportfive’s Steve Loy, Jimmy Johnston, Mike Harmon, Jeremy Elliott, Tommy Riehle and Ben Harrison; CAA’s Billy McGriff and Ben Gannett; Hambric Sports’ Rocky Hambric and Blake Smith; P3 Sports Reps’ Peter Webb; Pro Sport Management’s Jens Beck; Octagon’s Scott Seymour; Rory McIlroy Inc.’s Sean O’Flaherty.
Tours/governing bodies: PGA of America’s Terry Clark, Kerry Haigh and Casey Morton; R&A’s Mark Darbon; USGA’s Jon Podany; LPGA’s Chad Coleman, Liz Moore and J.D. Sterba; PGA Tour’s Andy Weitz and Tyler Dennis; WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Other: Versant’s Mark Lazarus and Matt Hong; Golf Channel’s Tom Knapp and John Donnelly; Rolex’s Arnaud Laborde and Alex Gasser; Kai Trump; Pro Shop’s Chad Mumm; Nancy Lopez; LIV Golf team managers Jeff Koski, Carlos Rodriguez and Peter Davis; TaylorMade’s David Abeles; CapTech’s Roberto Castro; ESPN’s Matt Barrie and Scott Van Pelt; Travelers Championship’s Andy Bessette.
