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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Throughout the past few months, many Tour professionals have expressed their dissatisfaction with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan over his handling of the big merger. They even developed trust issues with the Tour commissioner lately, which resulted in evident looming tensions within the PGA Tour. But after sulking in the shadows for so long and feeling betrayed by the PIF-PGA Tour merger, the PGA Tour members finally had their awakening this Tuesday. Golf legend, Tiger Woods, has ultimately broken his silence and will be joining alliances with his PGA family to secure better transparency and have better governance measures. 

Thus, a deal has been sanctioned by Jay Monahan, the Tour’s player members, player directors, and player advisory council members. It intends to have a democratic voice in the Tour and to have a player-driven organization with the maxim “for the players, by the players”. And in this grand new arrangement, the 15-time major winner will take center stage.

Change in power dynamics: Tiger Woods upholds a major role in this newly found PGA Tour

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The power structure took a blatant turn this Tuesday as Tiger Woods became the sixth Player Director on the PGA Tour. Previously, there were five player directors, but with the addition of one more and the most influential golfer so far, the PGA Tour will now have Player directors outnumbering independent directors for the first time in history. And this displays the player-centric mentality of the establishment, which looks out for its members and their interests.

via Imago

Other than Woods, the other player directors are Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy, and Webb Simpson. The Tour also has Ed Herlihy, the chairman; Jimmy Dunne; Mark Flaherty; Mary Meeker; and Randall Stephenson (who will soon be replaced), as independent directors. John Lindery will be the director of the PGA of America. 

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Thus, Woods aims to now take up his new role as a strong voice that speaks for the benefit of his fellow members on the tour and keeps in mind the utmost priority of collective welfare. 

Woods’ take on his newly found role

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Tiger Woods was one of the 41 professionals who penned a letter to Jay Monahan last Monday. In that letter, they demanded a greater say in the tour’s decision-making policies, to which the commissioner answered, and thus Woods came in as the latest installment in the lot.  

Bestowed with the new duties and responsibilities on his shoulders, Woods candidly made a confession addressing the Tour, “I am honoured to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” said the Hall of Famer while recovering from his ankle injury.

In addition to this, he also said, “This is a critical point for the Tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in Tour operations are in the best interest of all Tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players.” Preaching his words of affirmation and reassuring everybody that now the code of conduct in the tour and the upcoming decisions will only speak on behalf of its members’ sole interests.

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What do you think of the PGA Tour’s latest decision? Let us know in the comments below.

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