Should The PGA Tour Bow Down To The NFL Or Should It Fight Back?

Over the coming years, men's professional golf could make some major changes to its genetic make-up and appearance.

Although it seems unlikely at this stage, there remains hope in some quarters that a unification deal could be struck between the primary powerhouses and the 'f word' (that's fracture) which has been used to describe the overall state of the sport for several years now would be consigned to an awkward little corner of golfing history.

In the meantime, each of the main professional circuits on the men's side continues to try and make the best of the situation and ensure it is in the rudest health possible.

From the PGA Tour's point of view, that may mean altering itself quite considerably in order to not only survive but thrive in the hectic US sports market.

Recent reports - sparked by quotes from Harris English and cemented by words from Tiger Woods - suggested that Brian Rolapp and co. are considering removing Signature Events and creating an equal schedule of 20-25 must-see tournaments between February and the end of August.

Part of that potential change would lead the PGA Tour season to kick off (if you'll pardon the pun) after the NFL's Super Bowl has concluded, thus removing a handful of notable events which have featured at the start of every season for several years.

But are such changes necessary? After all, the PGA Tour reported several tournaments had enjoyed improvements in TV viewership throughout 2025 and golf as a whole is believed to be as popular as ever - especially since the global Covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, the NFL regularly possesses over 70% of the most-watched sporting broadcasts in the US each year and undoubtedly takes plenty of traffic away from golf when the two are competing for eyes.

Four Golf Monthly writers sat down to share their thoughts on the subject and ask whether the PGA Tour really needs to bow down to the NFL or if it should start boxing clever in order to fight back?

SHOULD THE PGA TOUR BOW DOWN TO THE NFL?

Elliott Heath

There is an awful lot of talk about football on the PGA Tour, and it is for good reason. The NFL is a behemoth which attracts enormous TV viewership, so I think it’s a sensible move to try and stay away from it where possible.

Losing the entire of January sounds drastic but that allows the DP World Tour’s Middle East swing to shine. The Dubai Desert Classic is a fantastic event that deserves to be THE tournament of the week so I see no problem there, as the PGA Tour’s January events are always fighting a losing battle against NFL on the same timezone and weekend.

Luckily for golf, the football season is short and the PGA Tour can really take advantage of that with a packed schedule from mid-February up to the end of August.

Make the main PGA Tour campaign as strong as physically possible and let the DP World Tour and other circuits take what’s left of the golf viewership when it’s football season, I’d say.

Jonny Leighfield

While Elliott certainly makes a number of fair points, I can't agree that the PGA Tour should go quietly, offer a healthy portion of its share in the game to a rival circuit and accept defeat when it comes to a battle with the NFL.

Golf has never been more popular, shown by increasing participation figures and the fact that Rory McIlroy became the first golfer in over 30 years to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in the UK.

I'd find it so strange if, given the position the sport is in overall, the PGA Tour opted to scale back or even walk away from what it's built.

I know the NFL is a sporting powerhouse like no other, but I don't think it's about bowing down to American Football, exactly. It should be about adapting while trying to build on the momentum golf has created for itself. That way, the PGA Tour can continue to be incredibly successful.

In my eyes, starting the season later is certainly not the answer, although I do like the idea of a more equal schedule overall. Moving forward, I think the PGA Tour should look to double down on plans to dominate the golfing scene and accept there is always going to be a pretty high ceiling dictated by the NFL.

Matt Cradock

No, I don't think the PGA Tour should almost admit defeat and bow down to the NFL, given that the off-season's FedEx Cup Fall did produce some excellent stories and has changed the path of some players' careers going forward.

We know that March to September is the peak period for the PGA Tour, but the off-season is a great chance for a number of less recognized names to establish themselves and challenge the big players.

I'll admit, the PGA Tour bowing down to the NFL might help the DP World Tour, given its big events are September to November, but the PGA Tour still needs to continue to provide opportunities to those who want to further their careers and make it into the Signature Events and Majors.

Paul Higham

In a word, yes. The NFL is a behemoth and is utterly dominant in American sports, so it really is pointless trying to do battle with it during the climax of the season towards the Super Bowl.

The PGA Tour is much better served starting the season after the NFL showpiece, just to try and maximize the amount of coverage it could try and bring to it, as not just the Super Bowl itself but the week before also dominates the sports media landscape, and golf will hardly get a look-in.

Moving the PGA Tour opener to after the Super Bowl makes perfect sense to me.