NFL Executive Brian Rolapp Tipped to Become PGA Tour CEO

OAKMONT, Pa. — Brian Rolapp, the NFL‘s chief media and business officer, is expected to be named the new CEO of the PGA Tour, sources say. Multiple reports suggest that an announcement could come in the weeks following the U.S. Open, which starts Thursday at Oakmont Country Club.

Rolapp has served in his current role with the NFL since 2017 and has been with the league since 2003. He has played a key role in negotiating media rights deals worth over $120 billion and is considered a strong candidate to succeed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the future.

As PGA Tour CEO, Rolapp would lead PGA Tour Enterprises, a new for-profit arm, while working alongside Commissioner Jay Monahan, whose contract ends next year. The search committee is led by Arthur Blank, who is closely involved in the process.

The PGA Tour has been seeking a new CEO since early 2024, focusing on external candidates to bring in new insights. Other candidates included NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, TaylorMade Golf CEO David Abeles, and former Ticketmaster chairman Jared Smith. Rolapp has emerged as the frontrunner among these candidates.

The selection comes as the PGA Tour negotiates with LIV Golf and its backers. Rolapp’s extensive media experience could help strengthen the Tour’s media strategy as it heads toward its next broadcast deals set to commence in 2031. Neither Rolapp nor the PGA Tour has publicly commented on the ongoing search.