'There Is A Deal To Be Made For The Others' - Former PGA Of America CEO Claims Ryder Cup And PGA Championship Should Be Bought By The PGA Tour
The Ryder Cup is the biggest event in golf but, according to former PGA of America CEO, Pete Bevacqua, the team competition should be sold to and run by the PGA Tour
It's safe to say that the professional golf landscape has changed considerably since the turn of the decade.
Not only have we seen the creation of the LIV Golf League, but leadership changes at the top-level of the professional circuits mean new ideas and ways in which the top Tours should be run.
Arguably, the most notable change involves the PGA Tour, where Brian Rolapp was appointed the circuit's CEO in June 2025, as well as replacing Jay Monahan, the Commissioner of the PGA Tour, in January 2027.
Already, Rolapp has laid out his plans for how a newly-modelled PGA Tour will look in the future, specifically from 2028, whereby there will be an emphasis on promotion and relegation, as well as a Championship Series and Challenger Series.
Certainly, the changes have been met with positivity but, according to former CEO of the PGA of America, Pete Bevacqua, Rolapp could, and should, go one step further.
How, you may ask? Well, according to Bevacqua, he suggests the PGA Tour CEO target two of the biggest tournaments in golf... the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship.
Around 250,000 fans attended the Ryder Cup in New York
Speaking to Golf Digest, Bevacqua was posed the question of how he would advise Rolapp privately to make golf compelling for modern audiences.
In response, he stated: "I wouldn’t advise Brian to slaughter a sacred cow. But I’d advise him to acquire two sacred cows.
"I believe the Tour needs to sit down and strike a deal with the PGA of America to control the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, and I believe that would be in the best interests of both organizations if structured properly.
"Imagine if the NFL didn’t own and run the Super Bowl? It just wouldn’t work.
"The Tour stands on the sidelines for the five events in the game that matter the most: The Masters, Ryder Cup, US Open, Open Championship and the PGA Championship.
"I couldn’t stomach that if I ran the Tour. That never made sense to me. Obviously, The Masters, US Open and The Open are off the table, but I believe there is a deal to be made for the others."
Bevacqua during the 2015 PGA Championship
The Masters is owned and run by Augusta National, while the US Open is owned and organized by the United States Golf Association. The R&A, meanwhile, organizes and runs The Open Championship.
In terms of the PGA Championship, though, that is run by the PGA of America, while the Ryder Cup is co-owned by the organization and the European Tour.
Because of the joint ownership, and the Strategic Alliance between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, a potential deal around the Ryder Cup would be tough; what's more, questions arose around the 2025 edition of the event at Bethpage Black, where crowd trouble overshadowed the week.
Asked whether "the PGA of America lost control of its own event?" Bevacqua reiterated his earlier points, explaining: "I love Bethpage State Park and some of my very best golf memories occurred on the Black Course in the late 80s with my father and my friends.
"When I arrived at the PGA of America, one of my key priorities was to secure Bethpage as a site for the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. That was a passion project for me that also made all the business sense in the world...
Justin Thomas was one of many US players attempting to keep the crowds quiet during the Ryder Cup
"I was really saddened about the off-course behavior last fall. For me, one of the all-time low moments in golf was when Rory’s wife, Erica, was hit by a beer thrown by a fan. That was awful and wrong and ridiculous.
"I absolutely think the PGA (of America) could and should have done a better job responding to those incidents. You can’t stop all bad behavior when you amass crowds that size, but you have to deal with it and stop it as soon as it becomes apparent.
"Bethpage crossed the line. If that type of behavior continues, the event will be diminished and, eventually, ruined.
"As I said, the Tour should acquire the Ryder Cup from the PGA of America. That time has come.
"I believed that when I was at the PGA of America after the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. I recall saying internally that if the Ryder Cup was a stock, Hazeltine was an all-time high and we should have sold it."
Do you agree with Bevacqua's thoughts? Let us know in the comments below...
