The PGA Tour laid off 56 employees Thursday and closed 73 open roles, as the for-profit mindset continues to evolve under CEO Brian Rolapp.
Rolapp sent a 319-word all-staff memo just before 1 p.m. ET, a copy of which was obtained by Front Office Sports, informing PGA Tour employees of the moves. The tour did not comment when contacted by FOS. Senior PGA Tour leaders informed those being laid off earlier Thursday morning, Rolapp said in the memo.
The layoffs represent roughly 4% of the tour’s 1,300-person workforce, largely based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. It’s currently unclear who specifically is being let go. After Rolapp took over as CEO in August, the PGA Tour initiated a voluntary retirement program that 30 employees ultimately accepted.
Rolapp in the memo said he will send a follow-up email on Monday to provide more clarity, and announced the PGA Tour will hold an all-team town hall on May 11 to break down the rationale for the layoffs, what they mean for how the tour will operate, and answer questions.
In the memo, Rolapp framed the layoffs as reallocating resources to focus on strategic priorities. The PGA Tour on Monday will post more than 30 new roles, including some senior-level positions, sources told FOS.
The PGA Tour made the layoff decisions after completing a review led by FTI Consulting, which calls itself “the leading global expert firm for organizations facing crisis and transformation.”
It has been more than two years since the Strategic Sports Group invested $1.5 billion in the tour that created the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises entity. Previously, the PGA Tour operated exclusively as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The PGA Tour has retained a non-profit entity for charity purposes.
SSG in 2027 will have the option to invest another $1.5 billion that would bring its total investment up to $3 billion since coming on board in January 2024.
The PGA Tour has been exploring significant changes to its annual playing schedule and overall structure. Rolapp is planning to give another update on those discussions in June at the Travelers Championship.
