Tiger Woods bested Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program for the second straight season, Golf.com reported Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Woods will take home a $15 million prize thanks to the program that rewards golfers for their popularity. McIlroy gets $12 million for coming in second.
- The overall bonus pool increased to $100 million across 20 players this season from $50 million in the program’s first year.
- The PIP was calculated using metrics tracking five criteria — internet searches, earned media (news articles mentioning a player’s name), social media, TV sponsor exposure and general awareness — but the formula is set to change next year.
Backstory
The program was designed as a bonus mechanism for top players to earn more based on their play and off-course measurements like social media scores. But Woods previously won it with zero 2021 PGA Tour starts. It also didn’t work as a deterrent for players threatening to join rival circuits: Half the top 10 golfers from last year now play for LIV Golf, including Phil Mickelson, who finished second in 2021.
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Woods finished 229th in the FedExCup rankings this season. He was 47th at The Masters — his first official tournament since suffering severe leg injuries in a 2021 single-car crash — missed the cut at The Open Championship and withdrew from the PGA Championship after the third round.
In its new form, part of the sweeping PGA Tour changes announced for 2023, the PIP will not use social media reach as part of the formula. According to Golf.com, three players who did not qualify for a bonus under the 2022 criteria but would have under the new criteria will receive still bonuses: Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Young and Sam Burns will each get $2 million, the same as the 2022 No. 16-20 finishers.
How will the 2023 changes impact the ranks?
Changes coming to the PIP program in 2023 should offer more clarity to the results. Social media as a marker has always been murky and created anomalies.
Those changes, though, probably won’t lessen Woods’ grasp. In addition to being far and away the most famous individual in the game, he’s likely to continue playing sporadically in 2023. He’s already committed to play in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, which takes place from Dec. 1-4. As long as he’s relatively visible, Woods will continue to dominate the PIP. In reality, he could stay in the shadows and probably still win in a waltz.
This year’s PIP program is already underway, having begun in October. The new rating will use “General Population Awareness” and “Golf Fan Awareness” to replace Q-rating and social media.
LIV defectors such as Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson would’ve all likely landed in the PIP top 20, but are no longer eligible. — Quinn
Full 2022 PIP rankings and payouts
- Woods ($15 million)
- McIlroy ($12 million)
- Jordan Spieth ($9 million)
- Justin Thomas ($7.5 million)
- Jon Rahm ($6 million)
- Scottie Scheffler ($5.5 million)
- Xander Schauffele ($5 million)
- Matt Fitzpatrick ($5 million)
- Will Zalatoris ($5 million)
- Tony Finau ($5 million)
- Collin Morikawa ($3 million)
- Shane Lowry ($3 million)
- Kevin Kisner ($3 million)
- Max Homa ($3 million)
- Billy Horschel ($3 million)
- Rickie Fowler ($2 million)
- Adam Scott ($2 million)
- Jason Day ($2 million)
- Patrick Cantlay ($2 million)
- Viktor Hovland ($2 million)
Additional players
- Matsuyama ($2 million) — would have ranked 11th with new criteria
- Young ($2 million) — would have ranked 15th
- Burns ($2 million) — would have ranked 20th
Required reading
(Photo: Michael Madrid / USA Today)