Competition and other membership issues always required a majority approval of the four players serving on the 10-member PGA Tour policy board. Next year it goes back to an even split of player directors and independent directors.
A fifth player is joining the board effective next January, with Patrick Cantlay appointed to a one-year term.
“It bring additional views and perspectives from a player standpoint,” said Andy Pazder, the tour’s chief tournament and competitions officer.
What makes this position different is it will be determined by the four players already on the board instead of a vote by the entire membership.
The other player directors - currently Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner, James Hahn and Charley Hoffman - previously were elected by their peers to be chairmen of the Player Advisory Council for a year, and then they graduate to the policy board for a three-year term.
Cantlay was on the ballot for PAC chairman this year, finishing third behind Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati. Now he goes straight to the board next year. Whoever is appointed to the fifth seat after Cantlay will serve a three-year term.
For years, the PGA Tour board comprised four players and four independent directors, along with the current of PGA of America president.
Commissioner Jay Monahan appointed a fifth independent director in 2017 - Mary Meeker, a general partner at the venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins, specializing in internet-related business investments.
At the time, the PGA Tour was about to start negotiating a new media rights deal and AT&T was likely to be among those interested. Randall Stephenson, the chairman and CEO, is on the tour’s board of directors and would have needed to recuse himself from board matters during negotiations. That led to Meeker’s appointment to have four independent directors to vote.
Now it will be back to an even number of each. The other three independent directors are Mark Flaherty, Victor Ghanzi and Ed Herlihy.
