This is Dom Cooke and today we are breaking down the PGA Tour. We cover the global size and reach of the PGA Tour, how the Tour’s non-profit business model works, and the threat posed by several upstart rival tours.

Note- this episode was recorded in June 2022.

Our guest is Neil Schuster, co-founder of golf media business No Laying Up.

Show Notes
[00:00:00] – Introduction
[00:02:27] – [First question] – What the PGA Tour is, it’s size today, and how it generates revenue
[00:06:04] – Defining what the Tiger Tax is and its implications
[00:08:04] – When the PGA Tour was founded and the key moments leading up to today
[00:15:40] – Deane Beman: Golf’s Driving Force; Changing the format of the Tour into a non-profit
[00:17:24] – Being a member run organization and player influence over the board
[00:18:23] – Overview of the business structure and model of the PGA Tour
[00:22:27] – Reasons for the 72 hole stroke-play format
[00:24:43] – The distribution of over a billion dollars of revenue
[00:27:59] – Why their capital allocation is unique and their incentive programs
[00:31:37] – Unique pension structures of their deferred compensation plan
[00:34:30] – The Champions Tour as a secondary way to make a living after the PGA tour
[00:36:07] – Rival SGL and PGL tours and how they are trying to disrupt the PGA tour
[00:44:42] – Having a legacy name advantage to bring players and capital in
[00:47:47] – Relying on growing viewership, ratings, and new sponsors over time
[00:52:48] – Paths to becoming a more successful tour amidst the new startup tours
[00:55:07] – Netflix’s partnership with the PGA Tour to try and bring in new viewers
[00:56:54] – The most surprising lessons about the PGA Tour he’s learned