The PGA Tour’s search for a CEO is now several months in, and while no final decision is imminent, some of the options in play have begun making the rounds in golf circles.

Five senior golf industry sources with knowledge of the search have identified NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps as a name that the tour has shown interest in. Two people familiar with the matter also named TaylorMade President & CEO David Abeles as a possible candidate. It was unclear the total number of executives that the tour is vetting for the role, but one source said multiple candidates whose identities have yet to be learned were in play.

Phelps recently was promoted to become NASCAR’s first modern commissioner, so his name may be considered a surprise. Sources indicated to SBJ that he was still considered an active and attractive target, despite his recent move. A spokesperson for Phelps declined comment when contacted by SBJ.

The tour’s search committee is likely drawn by Phelps’ role in re-energizing NASCAR since he took over the stock car racing circuit in 2018, and he holds great respect across the sports business community. His level of interest in the role could not be immediately established, and he thus could wind up staying at NASCAR for years to come, as he is a hardcore fan of NASCAR and has great passion for the sport.

In Abeles, the PGA Tour would be getting a golf nouvelles who has had deep ties with Tiger Woods, an influential voice in the state and trajectory of the PGA Tour. TaylorMade signed Woods to an equipment contract in 2017, and the company — led by Abeles — also worked with him on his Sun Day Red apparel brand that debuted in 2024. Abeles has been a longtime TaylorMade employee but also had stints with Acushnet, which owns Titleist, and as CEO of the Competitor Group, which puts on running, cycling and triathlon events. He is known in golf circles for his energy and positive mindset, and has deep ties with many players through equipment deals over the years.

Abeles did not respond to an email from SBJ last week. The PGA Tour declined comment on the search.

In a December memo to employees that officially announced the search, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan indicated the executive would likely not be an internal hire. He referenced how the tour in 2025 would “continue to look outside the organization to bring in fresh perspectives and complementary capabilities that will make our team even stronger.”

Monahan has taken a spot as a director on the tour’s Policy Board and also is on the search committee for the CEO. When the 13-person Enterprises board was announced in March of 2024, the tour said Monahan would be the CEO. But industry sources said that designation was more in an interim capacity. Sources have said Monahan’s contract as commissioner expires at the end of 2026.

The CEO role will report directly to the PGA Tour Policy Board, which is chaired by former Valero executive chairman Joe Gorder, as well as the board of directors for Enterprises, which Gorder also chairs.

Arthur Blank, a member of the Enterprises board, has been leading the search committee, and sources said he’s been intimately involved in every aspect of the process. Also on the committee are Gorder and Fenway Sports Group’s Sam Kennedy (board director), as well as player directors Tiger Woods and Adam Scott. The tour also has been working with Korn Ferry on the search. The level of secrecy around the search has been notable, as few names have emerged over the last four months.

Still hanging over the search is what happens between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and whether the fund will invest in PGA Tour Enterprises. It’s now been two months since the sides met at the White House with President Trump and the PIF’s governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

While there was optimism heading into that meeting that a deal could be consummated, the sides have moved further apart since. Al-Rumayyan has been a staunch proponent of keeping LIV Golf in its current format, something the PGA Tour is opposed to. The Guardian reported recently that the tour rejected overtures from the PIF that included keeping LIV in tact and making Al-Rumayyan a co-chair of the Enterprises board alongside Gorder.

Table of Contents

• La Recherche du PDG de la PGA Tour : Candidats et Enjeux
  • Les Candidats Potentiels
  • Structure et enjeux
  • Tableau Récapitulatif des Candidats Potentiels
  • Foire aux questions (FAQ)