Player Equity Program helps further align interest of fans, PGA TOUR players

The recent roll-out of the PGA TOUR’s Player Equity Program (PEP) is another example of the TOUR strengthening its ability to lead professional golf forward. By offering players equity stakes in PGA TOUR Enterprises, the PEP aligns the interests of players and the PGA TOUR around a common goal: to bring the world’s best golfers together on iconic courses to deliver memorable competitions in a way that maximizes fan interest and enjoyment.

Tyler Dennis, the PGA TOUR’s Chief Competitions Officer, called the roll-out of the PEP “a historic moment for the PGA TOUR.”

“This is a first in professional sports. There’s no other sports league in the world that has this significant number of their athletes as owners of their own sports organization,” Dennis said. “We’re really excited about it because ultimately we want to do what is right for the fan.”

The PEP is an important element of PGA TOUR Enterprises, the newly-created for-profit entity that houses the PGA TOUR’s commercial assets, including its sponsorship and media agreements. In creating a for-profit legal entity for the first time, PGA TOUR Enterprises provides a structure through which the PGA TOUR can reinvest substantial capital directly into the game, including PEP. PGA TOUR Enterprises recently received a $1.5 billion investment from the Strategic Sports Group (SSG), a consortium of U.S.-based sports owners who bring decades of experience and expertise across sports.

PGA TOUR players’ eligibility to participate in PEP is determined based on a number of factors, including their on-course performance and historical contributions to the game of golf. In order to maintain eligibility, players must participate in a specified number of annual PGA TOUR sanctioned events and/or provide other services to the PGA TOUR. Future equity grants for PGA TOUR Enterprises will be determined on an ongoing basis based on a similar calculation of on-course performance and off-the-course impact on fan engagement.

“Owners are motivated to think beyond their personal performance week-to-week and year-to-year,” said Jason Gore, the TOUR’s Executive Vice President Chief Player Officer. “They have a broader perspective of how their actions can impact the long-term health and performance of the TOUR in a positive way. One that meets the needs of our fans at every turn. It’s no longer as much ‘What’s in it for me?’ as ‘What’s good for fans and good for the PGA TOUR?'”

It offers a true win-win for all who love the game.