As the PGA Tour changes, historic events are thinking about their future
If Jon Drago, longtime tournament director of the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson, were writing a book about the current state of his event in the Dallas area, he would call it “A Tale of Two Tournaments.”
On the other hand, Drago has a place – TPC Craig Ranch – coming out of a multi-billion dollar renovation by Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins, and the reigning champion – Scottie Scheffler – who is not only world number 1 but also a hometown hero.
Yes, the best times.
On the other hand, Drago and his lead sponsor, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, do not have a 2027 date for the event, and now, in the seventeenth year of the tournament, they may sit in the crosshairs of pending schedule reductions by the PGA Tour. If Nelson hadn’t survived the new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s transition, it would have meant the end of an event that in its lifetime has raised more money for charity, nearly $200 million, than any other PGA Tour stop. Today, the Momentous Institute, a local mental health nonprofit, is Nelson’s sole beneficiary.
Worst moments? We will see.
Drago responds to questions surrounding the upcoming changes to the Tour schedule. You know that some tour stops can be in trouble. But he is not jumping to any conclusions.
“It can be frustrating, for sure,” he said. “We would like to know the future but we don’t know, if you had told me five years ago we would have had a golf video on TV. [TGL] and the division of the Saudi golf league [LIV]I may not have believed you. We will not believe in speculation or chasing rumours. We will only deal with the facts. “
Drago said that was the same message he conveyed to CJ Group executives who were in town from South Korea recently to organize pre-tournament sessions. CJ renewed its title sponsorship deal last year, and Nelson is in contact with the Tour to run the event this year from May 21-24.
Drago has never met or spoken to Rolapp but knows that the new CEO is fighting for more “lack” in the system. If moving dates could help Nelson’s prospects, Drago said he would be open to it. “We would like to be in May because it allows the Zoysia grass to grow in this course,” he said. “But we were there in April and May and we can go earlier if we have to.”
According to a member of the Salesmanship Club committee, tour officials told the club that, with the goal of recouping their equity partners, the Tour is looking to take over the management of several tour events, as it did with the PGA National stop, the Cognizant Classic, in 2023. (The Tour declined to comment for this story.)
The Nelson isn’t the only Texas Tour event that is raising questions about its future. The same goes for the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth. The Schwab, in the history of Colonial Country Club, is the longest-running golf event at the same venue other than the Masters at Augusta National. The course was recently renovated by Gil Hanse, and has long been one of the most prestigious events on the tour, with 2026 marking its 80th appearance.
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Schwab tournament director Michael Tothe doesn’t have a date for 2027, but said he expects to know more this month, perhaps as soon as this week when Rolapp delivers his State of the Tour address at the Players Championship.
“I’ve talked to Brian a few times and I think he’s a sharp, impressive guy,” Tothe said. “Change is going to make everyone happy or, in some cases, unhappy. Change can be fun or scary because there’s a lot of it.”
Still, Tothe said, he’s confident Nelson and Colony will continue as two North Texas acts.
“I would be shocked, surprised if there is no Byron Nelson tournament next year,” he said. “I mean they have new ones [renovated] Of course and the new title sponsor only a few years from CJ. What are you going to do, just tell them to leave?”
Further complicating matters for the Texas events in 2027 is that year’s PGA Championship, which is hosted at PGA Frisco’s East Course. If the Nelson and Schwab dates don’t change in 2027, that would mean the PGA Championship, Nelson and the Colonial would fall on consecutive weeks. Three races over a distance of just 40 miles is a landscape that has never happened before on the Tour.
“We can take it out,” said Thobile.
Tothe and Drago live within five miles of each other in Mansfield, Texas, and often talk about the future of their tournaments.
“I think we both feel the same,” said Tothe. “We have great historic events, great title sponsors and loads of fans, volunteers and money raised for charities in one of the biggest places in the country. How many people can say that?”
Not many, but the news Tothe and Drago will receive in the coming weeks (or months) will say a lot about the new era of the PGA Tour.
