Tiger Woods has won the PGA Tour’s first annual Player Impact Program, the controversial $40 million scheme that rewards players on their ability to engage fans, regardless of on-course performance. Woods receives a bonus of $8 million, according to figures obtained by Golfweek Wednesday morning.
Woods appeared at just one tournament in 2021, the PNC Championship in December, at which he finished second with his son, Charlie. Woods narrowly edged Phil Mickelson for the top prize. Mickelson receives $6 million for finishing second.
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In a December 29 Twitter post that was widely reported by media, Mickelson claimed to have won the PIP. At the time, the PGA Tour confirmed to Golfweek that the program didn’t conclude until Dec. 31 and that there was a lag time of several weeks in metrics being reported, which meant the impact of Woods’ appearance at the PNC Championship had still to be measured.
The final PIP standings were audited by Grant Thornton and presented to the board of the PGA Tour at a meeting Tuesday night in Winter Park, Florida. A spokesperson for the PGA Tour declined to confirm the accuracy of the final standings to Golfweek.
The Player Impact Program began in secret in January 2021. Its existence was revealed by Golfweek on April 20. The PIP uses a range of metrics designed to calculate a Tour player’s level of fan engagement, including their popularity in Google search, their Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, and Meltwater Mentions, among others.
The creation of the PIP was seen as a reaction to the threat posed by the Saudi Arabian-funded Super Golf League, which is attempting to lure top players with guaranteed money. The PIP program represented the first time that the PGA Tour offered bonuses to members that were unrelated to their performance on the golf course.
In 2022, the PIP program will grow to $50 million.
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Source: Golfweek