‘Kick in the face’ – Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ multi-million dollar bonus infuriates fellow PGA Tour pro

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ multi-million dollar bonus is a “kick in the face” for fellow PGA Tour pros. As the PGA Tour Player Impact Program results were revealed, McIlroy and Woods once again took home the largest prizes.

The PGA Tour’s relatively new program, the PIP, aims to reward its best players for promoting the game of golf.

It utilizes objective measurements, for example, the quantity of Google searches and virtual entertainment likes to dole out a $100million (£79.8m) prize pot among 20 players on a sliding scale.

Some consider the opposition just a ‘prevalence challenge’ developed to channel cash into the pockets of the PGA Visit’s most renowned players.

Woods won the PIP in 2021 and 2022, but McIlroy won the $15 million (£12 million) prize this year.

Nonetheless, Woods receives $12 million (£9.6 million), bringing his total prize money from the contest to $35 million (£27.9 million).

That is in spite of playing in only five PGA Visit occasions outside the majors starting around 2020 because of continuous injury issues.

The danger of LIV Golf and nine-figure marking expenses implied the PGA Visit – a non-benefit, part run association – expected to figure out how to provide its top players with a greater cut of the pie.

Hence the PIP, but this continues to be poorly received by some of the more “rank-and-file” professionals on the PGA Tour.

Ex-Visit victor Nate Lashley posted on X, previously known as Twitter: ” What number of golf fans really understand what the PIP on the PGA Visit is?

“Would love to hear from golf and PGA fans whether they believe this $100 million was well spent?” The PGA Tour has 150-200 players, and they just spent $100 million on 20 of them. It seems a little absurd.

“Time for new initiative on the PGA Visit. This is an outright kick in the face to the remainder of the PGA Visit players.”