Tiger Woods has won the PGA Tour’s first annual Player Impact Programme, a $40m (£30m) scheme that rewards players on their ability to engage fans, regardless of on-course performance. Woods receives a bonus of $8m (£6m) despite playing in just one tournament in the 2020-21 wrap-round season, the PNC Championship in December, at which he finished second with his son, Charlie (pictured above).
Woods narrowly edged out Phil Mickelson for the top prize, with the runner-up receiving $6m from the pool.
The remaining players in the top 10 were: 3. Rory McIlroy ($3.5m), 4. Jordan Spieth ($3.5m), 5. Bryson DeChambeau ($3.5m), 6. Justin Thomas ($3.5m), 7. Dustin Johnson ($3m), 8. Brooks Koepka ($3m), 9. Jon Rahm ($3m), 10. Bubba Watson ($3m)The Player Impact Programme uses a range of metrics designed to calculate a PGA Tour player’s level of fan engagement, including their popularity in Google search, their Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, and Meltwater Mentions, among others.The PIP programme 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 programme will grow to $50m (£37.5m).
