Interest
Insights | July 2025
Golf’s turning point:
The Open & new leadership
Rory McIlroy
Source: www.theopen.com
There’s something special about The Open.
That feeling when the wind howls across the links, the rough swallows a tee shot whole, and history hangs in the air like morning mist. It’s golf at its purest, and every July, it gives us a moment to pause and appreciate the soul of the game.
But this year, as we gear up for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, there’s a different kind of energy. Yes, we’ll still be glued to every leaderboard shuffle and every miraculous up-and-down, but behind the scenes, the game itself is going through one of its biggest shake-ups in years. A lot of it comes down to a new name stepping into one of the most powerful roles in golf: Brian Rolapp, the new CEO of the PGA Tour.
Brian Rolapp
Source: www.pgatour.com
Rolapp isn’t a household name in golf circles… yet. He’s not a former Tour pro or someone who’s spent decades working his way through golf’s corridors of power. Instead, he’s coming over from the NFL, where he led their media and business operations and helped engineer some of the most lucrative sports media deals in history.
The guy helped bring NFL games to Amazon and Netflix. That’s a very different kind of playbook and exactly why his appointment is raising eyebrows across the golfing world.
Source: www.theopen.com
The guy helped bring NFL games to Amazon and Netflix.
Rolapp is stepping into this role at a time when the sport is at a crossroads. The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are still trying to figure out how or if they will come together. The business of golf is rapidly evolving, with streaming, international markets, and player influence all shaking up the traditional model. And fans? They’re craving a product that feels more modern, more connected, and frankly, more exciting.
Rolapp may not know the difference between a stinger and a spinner yet, but what he does understand is how to build a sports product that thrives in the modern world. In fact, his outsider status might be his greatest strength. No baggage. No blind spots, just a fresh perspective and a proven ability to get things done on a massive scale.
Source: www.theopen.com
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Source: discovernorthernireland.com
Of course, all of this isn’t happening in isolation. The Open is still the Open; it is timeless, unpredictable, and rich with drama. But this year, it’s hard to watch the action without also thinking about the future of the game. What does leadership look like now? How does golf stay true to its roots while reaching new audiences? Can someone like Rolapp bring unity and vision to a sport that’s been increasingly pulled in different directions?
There aren’t easy answers. But this moment, this Championship, this summer, this new leadership. It feels like more than coincidence. It feels like the start of a new chapter.
And maybe that’s what makes this Open so compelling. Not just the battle for the Claret Jug, but the bigger story about where golf is headed, and who’s going to lead it there.
Because while we’re watching putts drop and bunkers claim their victims, the future of the game is quietly being reimagined off the course. And that might just be the most important round of all.
And maybe that’s what makes this Open so compelling. Not just the battle for the Claret Jug, but the bigger story about where golf is headed, and who’s going to lead it there.