PGA professional Nate Lashley has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way in which the PGA Tour distributed its $100 million Participant Impression Program (PIP) payouts to simply 20 gamers, together with Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, for enhancing engagement and publicity for the tour. Lashley, who’s ranked a hundred and seventieth on the planet, took to social media to ask what number of golf followers really know what the PIP on the PGA Tour is.
He went on to ask whether or not the cash was spent properly and whether or not it was time for brand spanking new management on the PGA Tour. Lashley believes that the PIP payouts had been an absolute kick within the face to the remainder of the PGA Tour gamers.
The PIP payouts are based mostly on plenty of elements, together with web searches, basic consciousness rating among the many US inhabitants, social media attain, and engagement metrics. McIlroy topped the record and earned $15 million, Woods earned $12 million regardless of lacking many of the season because of ankle surgical procedure, and Jon Rahm acquired $9 million.
The disparity between what the highest gamers earn versus the common ones has develop into a rising matter within the sport. The change in format for 2024, with eight signature occasions that can have fields between 70 and 80 gamers, will solely enhance this disparity, leaving out among the extra marginal gamers on tour.
There may be concern amongst PGA Tour gamers
The PGA Tour is attempting to maintain its largest stars from defecting to the insurgent league LIV Golf for large paydays. The change in format is seemingly in response to LIV Golf’s emergence. Every of these occasions has a $20 million purse with $4 million of that going to the winner.
Lashley’s feedback mirror a rising concern amongst PGA Tour gamers concerning the equity of the PIP payouts. Whereas it’s comprehensible that the tour needs to reward its largest stars for his or her contribution to its success, additionally it is essential to make sure that all gamers are handled pretty. The disparity between what the highest gamers earn versus the common ones is more likely to develop into much more pronounced within the coming years, because the tour tries to compete with LIV Golf and different rising leagues.
