Who gets to call the final shots in the PGA Tour? How much power does the Player Advisory Council hold? What power does the Policy Board wield? You can theorize a lot from the insider sources and whispers around the corridors of Ponte Vedra. There were reports that Patrick Cantlay apparently was holding too much power. Or at least trying to manipulate that.

Then there is Tiger Woods.

Reportedly, the 15-time major champion is the ‘alpha’ in the room (to borrow Rory McIlroy’s words here). He was unhappy about McIlroy’s call to bring back LIV golfers. Apparently, some inside the board wanted LIV golfers to pay back their contract sum. Disputed reports and very few can attest on record to either of the two, but there is indeed a vestige of truth in saying that Tiger Woods & Co. at the top holds an overarching influence and power.

That’s what Player Advisory Council member Maverick McNealy’s words suggest. The 29-year-old, in a chat with Patrick McDonald on the First Cut podcast revealed the inner workings of the PGA Tour. He was part of the PAC that took the call to trim the field size in most tournaments, reduce the number of cardholders, scrap Monday qualifiers from a certain event, and a few other misguided decisions. 

He will be part of the 2025 PAC as well. McNealy’s earlier interview revealed he wasn’t on board with all the changes. His recent comment reveals that not much is bestowed on PAC’s hands. “In all honesty, we give feedback on what the Tour is planning to do… We don’t really make decisions. The feedback from the PAC is sent to the policy board and they vote on it,” McNealy started his explanation of the role PAC plays.

Traditionally, the PAC consists of sixteen members – eight are elected. The rest of the eight members are chosen by… yes, you guessed it right, the Policy Board. So, PAC’s job is to give feedback on the proposed changes. Not making the changes. The proposal to change the field size was part of a ‘review’ process by the PAC. The suggestions were given by the PAC members and the policy board approved them. The PGA Tour will ratify most of the changes from next year.

McNealy went on to explain that PAC is a great place to start for an ‘administrative’ role inside the upper echelons. The chairmen – this year there will be two of them – segues into the policy board after spending a year on PAC. McNealy himself wants to run for that. Because the Policy Board is the metaphorical room where it all happens. 

“It’s the policy board that’s actually… kind of… makes a big difference. It’s good to know what’s going on in the PAC, and if you wanna know what’s happening with the Tour and how the tour works, the PAC is a great place to be. But if you wanna vote on stuff, it’s the policy board,” the 29-year-old explained. 

Clearly, McNealy as a PAC member feels he could’ve done more if he were to sit on the Policy Board chair. Because the decision-making power rests on them. Calls that actually fix the path the Tour will take and the shape it will assume in the future come from the top brass. Nevertheless, the policy board has gone through multiple overhauls suggesting inner turmoil.

PGA Tour top brass troubles and Tiger Woods

The current policy board consists of Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, and Camilo Villegas. Malnati and Simpson’s terms will be over this year. Two more spots will be vacated by 2026, one of which McNealy eyes. In addition, there are three independent directors, Joe Gorder, Ed Herlihy, and Mary Meeker. Last year, Mark Flaherty, resigned from the board abruptly. 

Only a few days before that, Jimmy Dunne, the architect of the deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf resigned as well. Dunne cited a lack of progress in negotiations with the PIF as a key reason behind his frustration with the board. Dunne’s departure rang alarm as Rory McIlroy lamented the situation. McIlroy was himself a board member of the PGA Tour Enterprises — the for-profit entity founded after Strategic Sports Group’s investment. 

The Ulsterman left before his tenure was completed as Jordan Spieth filled the spot. McIlroy, apparently, wanted to take Simpson’s spot (PGA Tour board members except Villegas serve in the PGA Tour Enterprises as well) which didn’t sit well with the other members. 

Amid all these, it is somewhat clear that Tiger Woods has taken an active role in furthering the negotiations forward. He hosted PIF Chief, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, in his Albany resort along with player directors for an in-person meet. Notably, LIV Golf’s new CEO, Scott O’Neil was also present in the TGL’s inaugural ceremony. 

In light of all this, McNealy’s comments become significant as well. The Policy Board is apparently the place to be if you want to see or be part of meaningful progress. Similar to how collegiate golf paves the way for a professional career, Maverick McNealy (and perhaps some others too) wants to graduate out of the PAC and turn ‘pro’.