The PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program is undergoing its fourth change in just longer than two years of existence.
Tucked away in PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan’s memo to the tour’s membership overnight that announced sweeping changes to the elevated event series was a note about the tour’s PIP initiative. The PIP bonus pool was instituted in 2021 to reward players who boosted engagement and publicity for the tour. Ostensibly, a response to some of the lucrative deals rumoured to be coming from the then-Premier Golf League, the inaugural program somewhat backfired; five of the 10 winners in 2021 – Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson – ultimately left the tour for LIV Golf.
However, improvements to the PIP were announced at the 2022 Tour Championship to broaden its scope. After spreading out $US40 million to those on 2021’s list, the 2022 PIP pool initially increased to $US50 million, only to double to $US100 million in payouts. The list also went from 10 players to 20. Perhaps the most consequential alteration was what making the PIP list did for a player going forward, giving those on the list entry into the tour’s elevated events.
But overnight, a tour memo announced that, starting in 2024, the program’s bonus pool will be reduced to $US50 million, paid to the top 10 players. Moreover, there is no language in the memo that highlights entry into elevated events based off the PIP ranking.
According to the memo, the other $US50 million is being reallocated to the FedEx Cup bonus program and the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 standings.
The tour uses five measurements for putting together the PIP list: internet searches; the number of unique news articles that include a player’s name; duration that a player’s sponsor logos appeared on screen during Saturday and Sunday PGA Tour telecasts; a player’s general awareness score among broad US population; and social media score that considers a player’s reach, conversation and engagement metrics. Along with Google Search, Meltwater and Nielsen measurements, the 2023 list is adding general population and fan awareness criteria.
Tiger Woods has won both iterations of the PIP, beating Phil Mickelson in its inaugural year and Rory McIlroy in 2022.
