LOS ANGELES, CA– Last year’s Player Impact Program results have yet to be finalized, but there is already a strong desire to reform the PGA Tour’s awarding system for its most influential players.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said last year that the PIP was all about “getting our players engaged in our game, helping build our Tour, and helping grow their own unique brands.”
A majority of players agree with the principle, but many say the index used to recognize and reward last year’s $40 million bonus pool should be reimagined.
Do men deserve more? Is it a good thing or a terrible thing?” Do those who have made a significant impact and contributed to the advancement of the game deserve a raise? It is true,” claimed global number two Collin Morikawa, a former PIP list no.11 who is now apparently ranked atop this year’s list. “Is this year’s pool $50 million?” I mean, I’m flabbergasted by that. The top 10 players who can have an impact on the outcome of the game will get a total of $50 million. As far as I can tell, there are probably better ways to get there.
The PIP measures a player’s social media appeal and popularity using five different metrics, including Nielsen ratings, Google searches, the MVP Index, Meltwater Mentions, and the Q-Rating.
The PIP is frequently criticized for its lack of openness. That $40 million prize (raised this year to $50 million), along with another $10 million each player to encourage pros to play 15 tournaments, could be better spent if it wasn’t for the top 10 players from last year’s list.
Although Morikawa disagreed, he didn’t have a response when asked if he thought it was the best use of $60 million. But there has to be a solution somewhere. I don’t know what else we can do.” That’s a lot of money to pay out.”
One more step was taken by Patrick Cantlay:
There is little doubt that Cantlay is an old-schooler when it comes to his belief that money should be awarded based on performance, and he doesn’t like the change.
