Jordan Spieth has been elected to the PGA Tour Policy Board to replace Rory McIlroy, who resigned from the role last week.
Spieth takes up to the position vacated by McIlroy for the remaining year the four-time Major winner had been due to serve in the role.
The Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard published a communication on X from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan explaining the decision, which was agreed by the board’s remaining five Player Directors Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson and Tiger Woods.
Jordan Spieth tabbed to serve out remainder of Rory McIlroy’s term (one year) on Tour policy board. pic.twitter.com/WSMR1dQQBlNovember 20, 2023
Monahan wrote: “With Rory McIlroy resigning from the PGA Tour Policy Board last week, per the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations, the five remaining Player Directors have elected Jordan Spieth to serve the remainder of Rory’s term which expires at the end of 2024.”
Monahan then explained why Spieth is a good fit for the role. He continued: “Jordan has extensive experience with the Tour’s governance process, having served two years on the Player Advisory Council (2017-18) including PAC Chairman in 2018 and three years (2019-21) as a Player Director."
McIlroy’s decision to resign was a surprise, particularly considering the sensitive stage of the PGA Tour’s negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund behind LIV Golf as the parties try to meet a deadline of the end of the year for an agreement on how they will move forward together.
However, after the first round of his appearance at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy explained his shock decision to resign, telling Sky Sports: “I just think I’ve got a lot going on in my life between my golf game, my family, my growing investment portfolio, my involvement in TGL and I just felt like something had to give. I just didn’t feel like I could commit the time and the energy into doing that."
He continued: “I don’t mind being busy, but I just like being busy doing my own stuff so something had to give. There’s guys that are on that board that are spending a lot more time and a lot more energy on it than I am and it’s in good hands and I felt like it was the right time to step off."
McIlroy was a tireless defender of the PGA Tour in the months following LIV Golf’s launch, often dedicating large parts of his pre-tournament press conferences to the issue. However, as well as suggestions that had affected his performances, he was then left out of negotiations that brought the PGA Tour and PIF together.
As for Spieth, he will be hoping the year he spends in the role will not affect his form on the course. During his previous stint as a Player Director, victories were in short supply, with only a win at the 2021 Valero Texas over that three-year period.
Next year, Spieth will make his seventh attempt to complete a career Grand Slam in the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
