Golfers on the PGA Tour had only started earning a good amount of money from the prize pool in the past few years after LIV’s inception. The $15 million-$20 million in prize money available today has only begun in 2020. And even today, many average golfers on the PGA Tour are unable to earn a lucrative sum. However, the organization’s commissioner, Jay Monahan, was getting $19 million annually.

Fans and players reacted negatively to the revelation of Jay Monahan’s substantial $19 million earnings as PGA Tour commissioner. This controversy has spurred the Tour to take steps to support players financially as a form of damage control. The tour’s new CEO, Brian Rolapp, is now overseeing changes intended to redistribute funds to help players who are not top earners.

The PGA Tour recently sent a memo to its members, mentioning two new programs. These programs are the Member Support Program and the Pathways Player Achievement Grant. Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine shared an X post with the details.

The Member Support Program offers $150,000 in earnings assurance to players ranked 126th and beyond on the previous season’s FedExCup points list. The players will receive the payment at the end of the season, provided they meet a minimum participation requirement of 12 events between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.

Based on the eligibility criteria, these golfers lose their PGA Tour card and cannot play until they receive a sponsor invitation. However, it is very rare for golfers outside the 125 ranks to get an invite. Instead, it goes to popular golfers who don’t have exemption status. Golf analysts have criticized Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler for relying too much on sponsor invites.

Since golfers outside the 125th rank lose their card, this earnings assurance can be a huge deal for them. The financial challenges of losing exempt status can be clearly seen in Justin Lower’s emotional breakdown during the RSM Classic. Lower is awaiting twins and has ended 120th on the FedEx Cup Fall standings. This means he only has a conditional status now. Despite that, he could still get multiple starts in 2026. However, those below 125 wouldn’t get that chance. Thus, this move by Brian Rolapp can be very helpful in challenging times.

The Pathways Player Achievement Grant provides $15,000 grants at the start of each season to exempt Korn Ferry Tour members. Eligible players include those ranked 21st to 75th on the previous year’s Korn Ferry Tour points list, the top 10 players in PGA Tour Americas points, and the top 5 available players from PGA Tour University. There is no minimum event participation required to qualify for this grant. The players have full discretion over how to use these funds, allowing them financial flexibility to cover costs related to their careers or personal needs.

According to Brentley Romine, “rewarding strong performers and supporting both players who are ascending through the system and those returning from the PGA Tour” is the goal. The PGA Tour is funding them by redistributing money from the existing earnings assurance program. The existing program advanced $500,000 to fully exempt PGA Tour members. However, since there are fewer fully exempt members next season, the tour is redistributing the resources.

This is not the only thing Brian Rolapp is doing. After becoming the CEO of the PGA Tour, he has made several moves to improve its brand image and golfers’ experiences.

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Brian Rolapp’s strategies to improve the PGA Tour’s brand image

Brian Rolapp is employing several strategies to improve the PGA Tour’s image. Recently, in August 2025, Rolapp created a Future Competition Committee, chaired by Tiger Woods. The committee will assess the Tour’s competitive model, including the regular season, playoffs, and signature events. The goal is to make the competition more meritocratic, ensure top players compete more often, and create a more coherent competition. This will result in an engaging season structure for fans and golfers alike. “The goal is not incremental change. The goal is significant change,” Rolapp said.

With his NFL background, Rolapp aims to enhance the Tour’s media products. He aims at streaming and television to increase reach, production value, and sponsor engagement. However, he wants to balance commercialization with fan experience. Therefore, he continued partnerships with fan engagement technologies like Trackman.

Meanwhile, Brian Rolapp is also doing some leadership restructuring. Since he has an NFL background, he is bringing some fellow NFL board members, such as Dhruv Prasad and Paul Hicks. Prasad joined as chief commercial officer, and Hicks as executive vice president, strategic communications and public policy.

Brian Rolapp’s early moves show that the Tour is trying to steady its footing after months of criticism. His push for financial support, structural changes, and stronger media offerings hints at a busier stretch ahead for players and fans.