Tranlate this title Kisner warns Brian Rolapp about problem involving Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth in spanish

Brian Rolapp is preparing to take complete control of the PGA Tour in 2027, but Kevin Kisner believes one of his most difficult long-term problems may have little to do with tournament formats or LIV Golf.

The four-time PGA Tour winner thinks the amount of money now available at the top level could change how long stars remain active. Players such as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have already earned enough during their careers that financial reasons may no longer be enough to keep them competing into their 50s.

Rolapp joined the PGA Tour as CEO in 2025 after more than two decades with the NFL and will replace Jay Monahan as commissioner on January 1, 2027. He has already been involved in plans for a different competitive model from 2028, with the Tour saying it wants the best players competing against each other more often.

Kisner warned Rolapp about the future of PGA Tour stars

Kisner believes there is another issue that could become even more important with time.

Kisner revealed that Rolapp called players after taking the CEO position and asked them what the Tour was doing well and what needed to improve.

“I spent a long time on the phone with Brian early on in his career, and he asked one of what was going to be one of the biggest challenges of his job as CEO,” Kisner said.

“And I told him, ‘The cycle of your superstars is going to change dramatically in your lifetime as CEO because these guys are playing for so much money now. And you’re not going to have guys who are playing the Champions Tour at 50 to still pay their bills because of the money they’re playing for.’

Your Justin Thomases, your Jordan Spieths, your Rory McIlroys at that point. They’re just not going to play at 50 years old for $300,000 when they have $200 million in the bank. It just doesn’t add up.”

The difference between the two tours can already be seen in prize money. The 2026 Tour Championship carried a $40 million purse, with Scottie Scheffler receiving $10 million for winning at East Lake. Signature Events such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am also offered $20 million, with $3.6 million available to the winner.

On PGA Tour Champions, many regular events have purses around $2 million to $3 million. Steven Alker earned $330,000 for winning the Ally Challenge at the end of August, while his official Champions Tour earnings for the season stood at just over $1.7 million after three victories.

Rolapp is already trying to shape the next PGA Tour era

McIlroy and Spieth also show why Kisner believes money could eventually change the motivation of older stars. McIlroy is 37 and Spieth is 33, so neither is close to Champions Tour age yet, but Kisner was clearly talking about a problem that may become more visible over the next decade.

McIlroy has earned more than $119 million in official PGA Tour money and has 30 Tour victories, while Spieth has earned more than $69 million with 13 victories.

Those totals do not include every source of income available to the biggest players, but even the official PGA Tour figures show how different the financial situation is compared with earlier generations.

Kisner suggested that the Champions Tour could therefore face a difficult future if famous players decide they have little reason to continue playing after turning 50.

“In my opinion, if you want to keep your superstars relevant, you either have to lower the level of the Champions Tour or do away with it completely because it’s not a big winner for the PGA Tour as far as revenue,” he said.

Kisner used Alker as an example of a player for whom the senior circuit can still mean a lot financially. He also questioned whether a player such as Spieth, after earning huge money on the main Tour, would have the same motivation to play for much smaller prizes later in life.

Rolapp cannot force players to continue competing, so another part of the job will be making sure the Tour keeps producing new stars. That fits with some of the changes already planned for 2028.

In June, Rolapp said the new competitive model was built after listening to players, partners and fans, with a focus on clearer stakes and having the best golfers face each other more often.

The PGA Tour will therefore enter a new period when Rolapp becomes commissioner next year. He will have to deal with current questions around competition and entertainment, but Kisner believes the bigger challenge may arrive later, when some of today’s biggest names have no financial need to keep playing.