The PGA Tour is taking a page straight out of the NFL's social media strategy. In a move aimed at reeling in younger audiences, the tour has rolled out updated guidelines that give golfers more freedom to share content from tournaments. The new policy, which CEO Brian Rolapp helped spearhead, borrows heavily from his former employer's approach.
Rolapp, who joined the PGA Tour in June 2025 after 22 years with the NFL, appeared on ESPN's The Rich Eisen Show on Friday to explain the changes. "This was something that's been in the works for almost a year," he said. "You'll recognize this from our NFL playbook."
Under the new rules, golfers can now post up to three minutes of competition footage—up from two minutes—along with six shots of the broadcast per round. They can also share up to eight minutes of YouTube highlights 72 hours after an event ends and two hours of PGA Tour highlights on their personal channels. The expanded permissions are designed to give players more creative freedom while keeping the tour's brand front and center.
Rolapp's vision goes beyond just loosening restrictions. He sees social media as a gateway to connect with fans under 35, who spend most of their time on their phones. "Where are people under the age of 35 spending most of their time? On their phones, on social media," Rolapp said. "We learned this in the NFL and pushed hard on how we actually embraced those platforms which, ultimately, led to YouTube getting Sunday Ticket and some other things. So this has been in motion for a while, and we really put the gas on the last six months."
The CEO also challenged a common perception that only a handful of stars—like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy—are worth following. He argues the tour needs to do a better job promoting its depth of talent. "The only other sport in the world that has that type of competitive parity that I could find is the NFL," Rolapp said. "And we need to do a better job telling those stories—that as good as Scottie and Rory and these guys are, there's some amazing other stories on the tour that we need to tell better. And I think a better social media policy, more YouTube, better Instagram presence, is gonna help us do that."
The policy shift comes at a time when sports leagues are increasingly leaning on digital platforms to engage fans. The PGA Tour's approach mirrors strategies seen elsewhere, including Joy Taylor's return to sports media with a daily podcast, as athletes and leagues alike seek direct connections with audiences. Rolapp's NFL background brings a proven blueprint for leveraging social media to build narratives around lesser-known players, a tactic that has helped the NFL cultivate stars beyond its marquee names.
The new guidelines also align with broader trends in professional sports. For instance, Paige Spiranac's viral golf cart selfie shows how individual athletes can command attention online, a dynamic the PGA Tour hopes to harness. Similarly, Aryna Sabalenka's fiery French Open look sparked buzz, underscoring the power of personal branding in sports. The tour's updated policy gives players more tools to craft their own narratives.
Rolapp's emphasis on storytelling extends beyond social media. He believes that by giving players more leeway to share behind-the-scenes moments and highlights, the tour can create a richer, more engaging experience for fans. The hope is that this will not only attract younger viewers but also deepen loyalty among existing followers.
As the PGA Tour looks to the future, Rolapp's NFL-inspired playbook could be a game-changer. By empowering players to be their own content creators, the tour is betting that a more open social media policy will translate into a broader, more invested fan base. Whether it works remains to be seen, but for now, the tour is swinging for the fences.
