Jay Monahan Announces Departure As PGA Tour Commissioner 18 Months Ahead Of Time
Monahan is fulfilling the term of his current contract as the Tour's commissioner.
The PGA Tour has announced that Jay Monahan is leaving as commissioner, but will take his time exiting.
The Tour released an official statement on Tuesday morning explaining that Monahan will remain in his role as commissioner until the end of 2026. It turns out that his departure was a pretty well-kept secret, as Monahan shared that he informed various Tour boards a year ago that he'd be leaving his role.
"A year ago, I informed our Boards that upon completing a decade as Commissioner, I would step down from my role at the end of 2026," Monahan said in the statement. "Since then, we’ve worked together to identify a leader who can build on our momentum and develop a process that ensures a smooth transition."
Monahan's current contract as the Tour's commissioner expires at the end of 2026. While it makes sense for Mohanan, especially financially, to fulfill his contract, the announcement coming in June 2025 has the feel of a farewell tour announcement.
As for who is taking over the top office, the PGA Tour has tabbed Brian Kolapp to take over operations as the first-ever CEO of the organization.
It is unclear what will come of the commissioner's role once Monahan leaves his post, although it appears it could be nixed with Rolapp stepping in to take over day-to-day responsibilities.
"Brian is the singular future leader of the PGA Tour," Monahan told Sports Business Journal. "He’s the CEO. The team that has reported to me is going to report to him and we’re going to work arm in arm, day by day to make certain that we’re getting Brian to the exact position that he wants to get to, and that means not only executing in the short term, but putting him in the position to be able to define the future state of the PGA Tour."
Rolapp, who will begin his new role "later this summer," joins the Tour after serving as the Chief Media and Business Officer of the NFL and has long been linked to becoming the Tour's first CEO.
"I’m honored to join the PGA TOUR at such a pivotal time," Rolapp said in the Tour's official announcement. "The PGA TOUR represents the highest level of competition, integrity and global opportunity in the game of golf, and I believe deeply in the TOUR’s mission and its potential to grow even stronger. I’m ready to get to work—alongside our players, partners and leadership team—to build lasting value and deliver an even more dynamic future for the sport and our fans."
Monahan became the fourth commissioner of the PGA Tour in January 2017 after serving as executive director of The Players Championship. The 55-year-old played a key role in brokering a framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sole funder of LIV Golf, in 2023.