The PGA Tour announced that Tiger Woods has joined its policy board as part of an effort to provide new governance and transparency measures with its membership.
In a press release Tuesday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote that Woods will become the sixth player director of the tour’s policy board, a move that will give players more of a voice in league matters and its direction.
Woods joins Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Charley Hoffman as player directors, with five independent directors and the PGA of America director on the board. One of the independent director seats is currently vacant following Randall Stephenson’s resignation in wake of the tour’s framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Monahan also announced that Colin Neville of the Raine Group will be brought in to help ensure a transparent, efficient and collaborative process and be a resource for the negotiations between the tour, the PIF and the DP World Tour, echoing similar sentiments Monahan made in a memo to tour membership last week. The Raine Group was behind the Premier Golf League, the tour that initially attempted to rival the PGA Tour before Saudi’s PIF investment diverted from the effort and instead founded LIV Golf. Neville, sources tell Golf Digest, was an advisor of sorts to the players-led initiative by Woods and McIlroy to combat the LIV Golf threat last summer.
According to the release, Woods and the board “will work together to amend the policy board’s governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made in the future without the prior involvement and approval of the player directors.” Additionally, the release states the board has the full authority to approve or decline the proposed deal with PIF.
“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.”
The framework agreement outlined that the tour and PIF have until the end of the year to come to a deal for the proposed for-profit entity, although both parties have the option to extend the deadline.
Woods, 47, is tied for the most wins in PGA Tour history. However, he has been sidelined since April as he continues to rehab following surgery on his ankle.