The Merger of PGA Tour Enterprises and Strategic Sports Group: A New Dawn for the Future of Golf

On January 31, it was announced that the $1.5 billion initial investment into PGA Tour Enterprises had been made. This investment, led by Strategic Sports Group (SSG), brought with it a promise of collective expertise from a consortium of sports business leaders. As part of this partnership, SSG members were appointed to key leadership positions within the organization, including tour commissioner Jay Monahan and several player directors.

The creation of the PGA Tour Enterprises board of directors was officially announced on March 6th, with the meeting taking place at the RBC Heritage for nearly four hours. During this meeting, there was also a Player Advisory Council meeting that featured Theo Epstein, who joined Fenway Sports as a senior advisor in February. According to sources, this meeting between Epstein and the 16-player PAC was described as a “meet and greet.”

The board of directors for PGA Tour Enterprises includes Monahan, player directors Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth and Peter Malnati; independent director Joe Gorder; four SSG directors John Henry, Arthur Blank, Andrew Cohen and Sam Kennedy; and director liaison Joe Ogilvie.

This partnership with SSG is expected to provide valuable knowledge and opportunities for growth for the PGA Tour. Members of the board have already met with representatives from Players Insurance Fund (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas last month to discuss negotiations regarding additional funding for PGA Tour Enterprises. While progress is being made in these talks