PGA Tour set to build a bonus pool of $40 million for top players to help drive engagement

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The PGA Tour has devised a generous incentive package that will reward golf’s top players regardless of their on-course results. Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, and Rickie Fowler are among the players who will benefit from this new system. The fact that they have a strong swing was not a determining factor in this selection process. Instead, these athletes have been hand-picked for their potential to increase fan and sponsor interaction.

The decision to develop a direct response to the recent Premier Golf League resulted in this new venture, known as the Player Impact Program. The Premier Golf League proposed a Saudi Arabian government-sponsored splinter tour. With the promise of a large payout, this splinter tour aims to attract the biggest names in the golf industry. As a direct answer to the PGL, this software has spent what feels like an eternity trying to gain traction. However, it seems that signing a large number of elite players to be deemed worthy has no end in sight. To gain a competitive advantage from PGL’s effort, the PGA Tour had to find a way to reward stars for the value they add to the whole experience rather than just their on-course performance.

Who will benefit from this new program?

This new program, which began on January 1st, acknowledges and rewards players who make a significant contribution. At the end of the year, ten players will receive a total of $40 million. Only one player can win the title of most valuable, and win an astounding $8 million dollars.

These ten players will be selected based on their “Impact Score,” which is from the combining of six different metrics to assess an individual’s added value. The formula to calculate Impact Scores distinguishes between a player’s positive and negative exposure. These metrics, which will measure players against their peers, provide an algorithm that transforms the values from each metric into Impact Scores for each player, with the bonus sum determined by a ranking of those scores.

It should come as no surprise who will benefit from this new program, with Masters champion Tiger Woods becoming the Tour’s most valuable player. Rory McIlroy, the FedEx Cup winner, came in second, followed by Brooks Koepka in third. Also in this star-studded top five are fourth-place finisher Phil Mickelson and fifth-place finisher Rickie Fowler. The top ten finishers are also worth noting, with Jordan Speith coming in sixth, followed by Dustin Johnson. Following him are Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, and finally Adam Scott.

Impact Score predictions

Players’ Impact Scores for 2021 shouldn’t be written in permanent ink just yet. The scores will almost definitely vary from the projected version. The most talked-about player on the PGA Tour this year, Bryson DeChambeau, finished 12th in the simulator. With just one point separating them from Tony Finau, this may come as a surprise. Woods is recovering from a car crash, while Koepka has been injured. And since Mickelson and Fowler are on the decline, it may seem that they will not be rewarded for their recent success. These players can breathe a sigh of relief because they will earn incentives for their ability to create significant interest in the Tour.

The lucrative Player Impact Program, similar to the European Super League’s launch, will be well-received by its beneficiaries. This new program, however, isn’t without its drawbacks. It’s rumored to be unpopular with quality players who won’t be able to profit from the new contract. Players say they are at a disadvantage as the same players appear on television, including the same names on the Tour’s own PGA Tour Live. As a result, those who are normally not in the public eye are unable to receive this reward. Top players typically have the most social media followers, indicating that this strategy produces more revenue.