Tiger Woods Added to PGA Tour Policy Board, Tour Says Players Will Have Final Approval on LIV Golf Alliance
Tiger Woods is joining the PGA Tour Policy Board as a sixth director and will work with commissioner Jay Monahan to assure that players have a say in all decisions going forward.
The move is apparently in response to the secret agreement that Monahan and two board members made with the DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
The “framework agreement,” announced June 6, caught players by surprise in light of the yearlong fight against LIV Golf. In its announcement Tuesday, the Tour said players will have the final say on any changes from the agreement.
Woods, who had surgery on his right foot following the Masters, has said nothing publicly about the agreement. According to the announcement, Woods is being added to the board, which will give players six seats. There are five independent directors.
The current board includes player directors Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson; independent directors Ed Herlihy (chairman), Jimmy Dunne, Mark Flaherty, Mary Meeker, a to-be-announced replacement for Randall Stephenson; and PGA of America director John Lindert (who has a vote).
“I am honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement. “This is a critical point for the Tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in Tour operations are in the best interest of all Tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players. The players thank Commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns, and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love. He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”
In a release, the Tour said “player leaders joined together to uphold the Tour’s core principles and ask that certain steps be taken immediately.” Monahan agreed to those requests, which include:
- Amending to the Policy Board’s governing documents that player directors must have involvement in and approve future major decisions.
- The player directors’ special adviser, Colin Neville, being fully aware of negotiations around the framework agreement and having full access to documents and information.
- Player directors having full transparency and authority to approve or decline any changes to the Tour as part of the framework agreement discussions.