Q. You're a key member of the future competitions committee. After 10 long months, what did it take to get this across the finish line?
MAVERICK McNEALY: A lot of Zoom calls, but I think it was great. We really went through a pretty formulaic process to figure it all out. It started with all the key parties, the media partners, sponsors, fans, and obviously the players, and really figured out what everyone wanted to see if they had a blank sheet of paper and could draw up the perfect PGA TOUR.
I'm really confident that the proposal that was just voted on yesterday addressed most, if not all, of that. There's nothing perfect, and as Brian says, the first five-year business plan that he writes, if it's exactly the same in five years, it'll be the first. But I think we're at a really good starting point, but still a lot of details to be worked out the next six months, and I'll be wearing out those Webex calls, but we're almost there.
Q. Can you take us inside the room? What were some of the biggest sticking points or the most intense debates?
MAVERICK McNEALY: Well, I think the questions we've had that the players have pushed back on is one of the best things about our job is that we're not mandated when we have to play. So figuring out the number of events that, one, allows for the strength of field that everyone, golf fans, media partners and sponsors want to see, while still allowing us the flexibility to take a week off if we need a break, optimize our schedule, life gets in the way, things like that.
I think one of the best benefits of the schedule that hasn't been talked about as much is how much of our membership is going to have schedule predictability now. It was really something that was reserved for the top 30, maybe the top 50 players, knowing what they were going to play in at the start of the year, and now we've got over 200 members that are going to know January 1st every tournament that they're in.
That's going to be a huge quality of life thing, and for a huge portion of the membership, they're going to be playing for much elevated financial opportunities, while still maintaining a much cleaner system to move up and down and through and identify the best players.
Q. Ever since this committee was formed in August, I'm sure you've been getting your ear bent by PGA TOUR players. What's been the reaction now that it's finalized from the PGA TOUR membership?
MAVERICK McNEALY: Honestly, I think the communication that Brian and the team have done with the players has bordered on repetitive, which is far better than the alternative of springing everyone something completely by surprise. Brian has done an awesome job of stress testing a lot of these ideas out in the media, out in the public, with the players, and trying to poke holes in them as early as possible, and we've left a few ideas that clearly weren't going to work and proceeded with the ones that people seemed excited about.
I think this isn't a complete surprise, but that's kind of by design, that we wanted to bring everyone along through the process and make sure everyone had their piece to say and weighed in on it.
Q. Millions of golf fans tune into the PGA TOUR every week. Why should they be excited about this new look for 2028?
MAVERICK McNEALY: I mean, in some ways, it's a big change, but in other ways it's going to be the PGA TOUR you know and love. It's just you're going to know where to find it. You're going to know when it is, when it starts, when it stops. You're going to know for the most part who's going to be playing every week, and I think it's going to be a great opportunity to improve what we already do so well and make the best competition in golf.
We're going to go to some awesome golf courses. We're going to run really, really competitive tournaments that matter a lot for the players to win. I'll tell you what, I'm really excited for 2028. I can't wait to start playing in that system. If you have player buy-in, it's going to be a great thing.
Q. What's atop your checklist, your to-do list over the next couple months?
MAVERICK McNEALY: I think the eligibility questions are the big ones. The way we're looking at that is the Championship Series is the pinnacle of our sport. It's really the best financial opportunity, putting the best players in the best tournaments, and the best part about our sport is no one subjectively decide when you get a promotion. If you shoot a number and you play well, that meritocratic framework is what decides our TOUR. So figuring out the Challenger Series and making sure we decide the right eligibility for those guys to be able to play their way up to the Championship Series and to get the best players up through the system quickly and give everyone the best chance to compete and make it to the top of the game is what we're most interested in.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports