The PGA Tour has let go of 56 full-time employees as part of changes to how the organisation is set up. The layoffs make up about four percent of the tour’s global staff, which is more than 1,300 people.
The cuts were not limited to one area and were spread across different parts of the organisation. Along with that, the tour has also decided not to fill 73 roles that were previously open.
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Employees were informed of the decision on Thursday, with CEO Brian Rolapp addressing the move in a message to staff. He described it as a difficult but important step, as per Sports Buisness Journal. He added that it was needed as the tour continues to adjust to its for profit model.
At the same time, the tour is not just cutting back. There are plans to add more than 30 new full-time roles, including some senior positions, as part of the same process.
These changes come after a review carried out with FTI Consulting which was brought in late last year to look at how the organisation is structured and run.
Even with these changes, the PGA Tour is believed to have been profitable in 2025 and remains in a stable financial position. Rolapp is expected to address staff again on May 11, where he will go into more detail about the decision.
PGA Tour schedule change puts Hawaii events in doubt
The changes don’t just affect staffing. The PGA Tour is also reworking its schedule, and that has put a couple of familiar stops under question.
The Sony Open and The Sentry are not part of the 2027 calendar. Both events have traditionally opened the season in Hawaii, but that slot now looks uncertain.
It’s part of a wider change. The tour is trying to make space for more elevated events, and with the calendar already full, some stops were always going to be affected.
Ryan Lavner said he understands the reasoning, but still felt those courses should remain part of the schedule.
“I was disappointed from the standpoint of if you’re the PGA Tour, and it’s not necessarily even about the markets, I argue that it should be about the golf courses and going to the best golf courses, iconic golf courses, recognisable golf courses, interesting golf courses. To me, that’s the Plantation Course at Kapalua. And I think on a smaller scale, it’s Waialae as well,” he said.
Timing is another factor. Those events are played in January, which puts them up against the NFL playoffs.
That is something CEO Brian Rolapp has already spoken about. He has indicated that the season could eventually start after the Super Bowl which would push the opening events into February. If that happens, Hawaii may still return at some point but not in the same early-season window it has held for years.
Edited by Sonali Verma
