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PGA Tour adds first-ever investor relations executive. September 15, 2026 6:30am The PGA Tour has hired John Fizer as its senior vice president of investor relations, the organization will announce on Tuesday. The former Wall Streeter will report to the tour's president of enterprise operations, Andy Weitz. In the newly created role, Fizer will focus on "developing the education and communication around the player equity program," he said. That initiative offers players the opportunity to earn ownership stakes in PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit entity that houses the PGA Tour's commercial assets, such as sponsorships and broadcast rights. That group now encompasses almost 200 tour members, holding equity that is collectively worth more than $1 billion, according to a January press release. The player equity program was created in 2024, following a $1.5 billion investment into PGA Tour Enterprises by Strategic Sports Group, a consortium that includes John Henry, Steve Cohen, Arthur Blank and other notable North American sports owners collectively worth at least an estimated $51 billion, according to Forbes. The deal notably capitalized the PGA Tour while it was exploring the framework or a joint commercial venture with LIV Golf and the DP World Tour, though the arrangement was never consummated. SSG reportedly received an 11.62% stake that valued the commercial entity at $12.9 billion, according to Golf.com. Fizer will also play a role in facilitating the PGA Tour's dialogue with its institutional investors. "I think they're folks who have fantastic track records, not only in sports, but in financial services, industrials and different types of businesses," Fizer said. "So I think a lot of them really view the tour through the long-term lens and are really excited about what the tour can potentially build and some of the momentum that the tour now has on the back of LIV." As LIV Golf finds itself going through a tumultuous turnaround - the breakaway circuit voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week - the PGA Tour has seemingly ramped up its efforts to capture a larger piece of the overall sports pie. The tour's CEO, Brian Rolapp, announced in June a slew of changes to the competition that will roll out in 2028, including a promotion and relegation structure, larger prize purses and match play events. It's unclear whether the PGA Tour will seek more money to supercharge that further. Fizer said he didn't have "much insight when it comes to the long-term plan to raise additional capital" and "right now, the players in SSG are really the core of the investors, and quite frankly, I don't know if that's going to change in the foreseeable future." The previous deal reportedly left SSG with the potential to infuse another $1.5 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises. Fizer, a Rutgers-educated lawyer, previously worked in compliance at Barclays and Goldman Sachs, and as a wealth advisor at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. More recently, he started his own boutique investment advisory firm, Mill Hill. Before entering the financial services sector, Fizer captained the men's golf team at the University of Virginia. He also competed professionally on developmental tours. The 43-year-old agreed to come aboard after a months-long process that started when he was approached by the PGA Tour, which retained Excel Search & Advisory. Fizer, who is from Trenton, New Jersey and has lived just outside New York City for the last 13 years, is in the process of relocating to Jacksonville, near the tour's headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The move corresponds with another pair of key hirings. The PGA Tour also announced on Tuesday that it has added Under Armour and Overtime veteran Tyler Rutstein as its chief marketing officer and brought in Mike Mahar, formerly of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, to be its chief technology officer.

Tiger Woods excited by new matchplay format for Tour Championship. Tiger Woods has given a thumbs-up to the PGA Tour's new format for its Tour Championship, which will feature a 32-man match play competition. PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp announced overnight (Australian time) ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta that the new season-ending format will begin in 2028, featuring the top 90 golfers in a strokeplay event to determine the 32 who will advance to the first of two matchplay rounds. "The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there," Woods wrote on X. "Today's announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players. Excited to usher in a new era of matchplay on the PGA Tour." The FedExCup Playoffs currently are contested over three weeks, with fields of 70, 50 and 30 players competing in strokeplay events. But in the planned new format, the first week will feature a group stage, dividing 32 golfers into eight groups of four for head-to-head match play. The top two in each group will then move on to a new course in a second-week finale. In that final week, the remaining 16 players will compete in four rounds of matchplay, with the two finalists battling to be crowned the tour champion. "From the beginning, the goal of the Future Competition Committee was to create an easier-to-follow competitive model for our fans with greater consequence and a stronger season-long narrative," Rolapp said. "Throughout this process, Australian Golf Digest listened carefully to its fans, players and partners. One message came through clearly: the culmination of its season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there. "The result is a season-ending structure that rewards excellence over the course of the year while building toward a reimagined Tour Championship. We are creating something different, something distinct within professional golf that can resonate far beyond it."

PGA TOUR and LeBron James Family Foundation launch partnership to expand opportunities through golf. LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational at Firestone Country Club to feature PGA TOUR Pathway to Progression, inspire local youth and strengthen community impact in Akron. The PGA TOUR and the LeBron James Family Foundation have announced a new partnership centered on a shared belief in the power of sports to create opportunity and transform lives. Through the inaugural LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational at Firestone Country Club, July 6-7, 2027, a series of integrated initiatives will combine professional golf with youth engagement and fundraising to create community impact in LeBron James' hometown of Akron. The two-day event will include off-course mentorship programs that connect students in the LeBron James Family Foundation's I PROMISE program with professional golfers who advanced through the PGA TOUR's Pathway to Progression Pro-Bound Five program. Additionally, competitions featuring amateurs as well as professionals from the Pro-Bound Five program will take place on Firestone Country Club's South Course, adding another chapter to the PGA TOUR's decades-long presence in Akron. The LeBron James Family Foundation I PROMISE program serves Akron-area students and their families by providing them with the programs, support and resources they need to succeed in school and beyond. In partnership with the PGA TOUR, the Invitational will introduce young people to the game through meaningful community programming while also creating opportunities for aspiring professional golfers. Through his recently launched YouTube golf channel and now through this partnership with the PGA TOUR, James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, is helping bring more people along on his personal golf journey while supporting opportunities for those who may not have traditionally had access to the game. "Golf has become a passion of mine, and I've seen firsthand how the game can open doors, build relationships and create opportunities that many kids don't even know exist," said James, 41, who was born and raised in Akron. "This partnership with the PGA TOUR gives my Foundation a chance to introduce my I Promise students and more people to the game at a young age, support talented athletes chasing their dreams, and continue investing in the city of Akron that means everything to me." The shared vision of this partnership aligns with the recently announced evolution of the PGA TOUR's philanthropic strategy, which will launch national priority campaigns around charitable themes - including well-being, service, youth, access and opportunity - that attract new resources, elevate visibility and drive locally relevant impact. "The PGA TOUR believes golf can create opportunity, change lives and bring communities together," said PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp. "LeBron and the LeBron James Family Foundation have shown what is possible when that commitment is backed by action, and this partnership brings that shared vision to life. "By connecting young people in Akron with our sport and supporting talented, up-and-coming athletes pursuing their dreams through our Pathway to Progression program, we are creating an event that honors Firestone's history and legacy while helping shape golf's future." A centerpiece of the inaugural event next July will be the LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational Professional Competition, featuring alumni of the Pathway to Progression Pro-Bound Five program on Firestone Country Club's South Course. First unveiled in 2023, Pathway to Progression is the PGA TOUR's strategic investment in broadening the representation in golf by investing in the development of historically underrepresented communities. One of the Pathway to Progression programs offering competitive opportunities is Pro-Bound Five, where the top five players in the final APGA Collegiate Ranking each season gain membership access to the APGA Tour - creating a direct link to competitive professional golf. Additionally, Pathway to Progression helps facilitate players' transition to the professional ranks, as Pro-Bound Five players receive a player development stipend and supplemental resources to support travel to professional tournaments. The shared missions of the LeBron James Family Foundation and the PGA TOUR make the LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational an ideal opportunity to celebrate the possibilities that exist when opportunity and access intersect in the game of golf. Michele Campbell, Executive Director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, said: "For many years, PGA TOUR events at Firestone have been a staple of our community, benefitting our hometown and bringing people together. The LeBron James Family Foundation is very proud to be part of preserving the PGA TOUR's presence in our community. "With this event, we're excited to not only support more diverse golfers getting into the game, but to also expose our I Promise students and more youth in Akron to the world of possibilities that golf opens up. With the intentional programming we're building, we're looking forward to the opportunities this event will bring for young people and the entire community." Additional details regarding professional and celebrity participants and event programming will be announced at a later date. What did you think of this article?