The latest PGA Tour-NFL theft is an old-school strategy

Rory McIlroy has taken notice, and the PGA Tour appears ready to borrow a page from the NFL playbook. Speaking ahead of this week’s event, McIlroy praised a tactic long mastered by professional football, calling it an “old-school strategy” that the Tour could soon adopt. The approach, which the NFL has “done better than anyone,” is now being eyed by Tour executives, with NFL executive Brian Rolapp positioned as a potential conduit for the crossover. While details remain scarce, the implication is clear: golf’s governing circuit sees value in mirroring the league-wide cohesion that has fueled the NFL’s commercial dominance. Whether Rolapp can shepherd that philosophy into the fairways and greens remains to be seen, but McIlroy’s endorsement signals the idea is gaining traction among the Tour’s most influential voices.