BREAKING: New ‘Player Impact Program’ Will Reward PGA TOUR Players Regardless of Performance

This new bonus is entirely based on rewarding players who succeed in driving fan and sponsor engagement. The program will begin January 1st, and will target players who “move the needle.”

The total pool of this bonus will be $40 million, and it will be split between the 10 players at the top of engagement. The top player will earn $8 million. 

Golfweek has released the 5 things that will count towards the standings…

(1) Their popularity in Google Search.

(2) Their Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, which places a value on the exposure a player delivers to sponsors though the minutes they are featured on broadcasts.

(3) Their Q Rating, which measures the familiarity and appeal of a player’s brand.

(4) Their MVP Index rating, which calibrates the value of the engagement a player drives across social and digital channels.

(5) Their Meltwater Mentions, or the frequency with which a player generates coverage across a range of media platforms.

In this same document given to TOUR players, a simulation was done with 2019 numbers to give an example what the list of players would look like. No surprise, Tiger Woods was at the top. The rest of the Top 10 was Rory McIlroy (FedEx Cup Champ that year), Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Spieth, DJ, JT, Rosey, and Adam Scott. 

“A PGA Tour spokesperson said that as part of the program the Tour is providing extra resources to help all players manage their social media and branding, including charitable foundations, and to maximize their off-the-course business opportunities.”

Once the dust settles, and we hear from most of the players on TOUR, I’ll be writing another piece discussing who benefits the most, and who will it hurt. Until then, what do you think?

Cover Image via Instagram