Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Max Homa react in the course of the Ryder Cup.
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On the eve of Thanksgiving, an annual present arrived: the PIP standings, the PGA Tour’s yearly rating of its most beneficial gamers. How helpful? Very helpful — that collective of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm and others. But how are they helpful? The Tour has its personal system of answering that query. Only there’s a rising downside with that system. Numerous different pros don’t like it.
In yr’s previous, the PIP rankings have been shared by the Tour itself, and generally even leaked via golf media. But one factor was totally different this yr: The rankings got here by way of Instagram. And by way of one Instagram account specifically. Nate Lashley’s Instagram.
Lashley is the 187th-ranked participant on the earth. He simply completed 96th within the FedEx Cup Fall standings, which suggests he gained’t be taking part in in any signature occasions to start the 2024 season. He has full standing, which is job safety. You’ll see his identify on leaderboards subsequent yr. But for the second Lashley is upset.
“How many golf fans actually know what the PIP on the PGA Tour is?” he wrote in his IG caption. “Would love to hear from golf/PGA fans if they think this $100 million was spent well? There’s 150-200 members of the PGA Tour and they just spent $100 million on 20 players. Seems a little ridiculous. Time for new leadership on the PGA Tour. This is an absolute kick in the face to the rest of the PGA Tour players.”
A kick within the face! That’s how Lashley feels. He desires that sum of $100 million redistributed to event purses, which he made clear in subsequent feedback, and you may’t blame him for feeling that method. That gives him the very best probability to seize a share of that cash. Because Lashley will not be going to end wherever close to the highest of the PIP rankings, barring a large change in capability. And if your complete construction of the PGA Tour’s income and losses hinged on these tournaments and their leaderboards, he may need an honest case.
But the recognition of the PGA Tour, the rankings its TV companions obtain, the individuals who will journey to Charlotte for the Wells Fargo and purchase tickets in Los Angeles for the Genesis Invitational — this stuff will not be essentially tied to the place gamers end on the leaderboards. That is what the PGA Tour has earmarked thousands and thousands of bonus {dollars} for. A payout for gamers who’ve the stardom to affect these aforementioned issues that matter to the PGA Tour. Players who’ve weight within the golf world. Players who can affect the Tour’s backside line just by present. That’s why it’s referred to as the Player Impact Program.
So, let’s get to the outcomes!
For the primary time in its younger life, the PIP’s prime spot was not gained by Tiger Woods. No, Woods took second behind Rory McIlroy, who gained $15 million for ending first. Woods will earn $12 million, regardless of making simply two begins in the course of the 2023 season. Here’s how the remainder of the record shakes out. Scroll under for an evidence of the system.
1. Rory McIlroy — $15 million
2. Tiger Woods — $12 million
3. Jon Rahm — $9 million
4. Jordan Spieth — $7.5 million
5. Scottie Scheffler — $6 million
6. Rickie Fowler — $5.5 million
7. Viktor Hovland — $5 million
8. Justin Thomas — $5 million
9. Tommy Fleetwood — $5 million
10. Max Homa — $5 million
11. Xander Schauffele — $3 million
12. Jason Day — $3 million
13. Tony Finau — $3 million
14. Collin Morikawa — $3 million
15. Matt Fitzpatrick — $3 million
16. Wyndham Clark — $2 million
17. Cameron Young — $2 million
18. Justin Rose — $2 million
19. Patrick Cantlay — $2 million
20. Brian Harman — $2 million
If Lashley wakened on Thanksgiving nonetheless upset concerning the PIP, he may take one other take a look at the names of these on the record. There are a couple of, nice examples of gamers who didn’t play very nicely in 2023, however whom clearly impacted the Tour in a optimistic method. Take Justin Thomas, for instance, who put collectively the worst yr of his profession as a professional golfer.
Thomas completed exterior the highest 70 within the FedEx Cup, thereby lacking out on the year-end playoffs. But his struggles and his last-ditch pursuit of the playoffs was fascinating. Even the final method shot of his season was invigorating. Thomas flew from the Open Championship (the place he made headlines) to the 3M Open (the place he made headlines) to the Wyndham Championship (the place he made extra headlines). As a results of all that focus, as well as to what he did the remainder of the yr, solely 5 gamers (McIlroy, Rahm, Woods, Scheffler and Spieth) ended with greater Meltwater Mentions than Thomas. Meltwater Mentions are a rating of “earned media”, the variety of distinctive articles that point out a participant’s identify. They get eyeballs on the PGA Tour’s product.
Even his worst golf creates headlines and curiosity within the PGA Tour. What is that value? Absolutely one thing. But earned media is simply one of many 5 classes by which the Tour determines participant affect. All 5 are listed under, in addition to the figures related to them and the rankings for every participant who completed within the prime 20.
1) Internet Searches: Number of occasions a participant’s identify is searched utilizing Google (Google Search)
2) Earned Media: Number of distinctive information articles that embrace a participant’s identify (Meltwater)
3) TV Sponsor Exposure: Duration (time) {that a} participant’s sponsor emblem(s) seems on display screen throughout Saturday and Sunday PGA TOUR telecasts (Nielsen)
4) General Population Awareness: A random pattern survey of the inhabitants within the United States, balanced to key census information round age, gender, area, and ethnicity (MARC)
5) Golf Fan Awareness: A survey of a cross part of the overall inhabitants within the United States who’ve recognized themselves as “Golf Fans,” outlined as adults who play or watch golf (MARC).
As you may see above, Tiger Woods is the preferred golfer on the PGA Tour in accordance to normal consciousness, and likewise Google searches. No shock there. The participant whose identify was included in probably the most distinctive articles? That’s McIlroy. The participant who was on TV probably the most on PGA Tour weekend telecasts? Scottie Scheffler, to no shock. He was the very best golfer on the earth a lot of the yr.
The Tour’s solely downside in acknowledging its most impactful stars? It’s that Lashley will not be alone. James Hahn has made a stink about this similar concern previously — thousands and thousands in funds going to a choose few as an alternative of the membership at giant. Lanto Griffin simply bemoaned the distinction between the Tour’s haves and have-nots per week in the past in Georgia. A divide exists now greater than ever earlier than. And the PIP isn’t going wherever. Players obtained a memo with the outcomes Wednesday, however together with it they obtained a observe on how this system would exist and alter in 2024. $50 million to the highest 10 gamers, a slight change from $100 million to the highest 20. Lashley now has a full yr to get snug with that.
