The PGA Tour has responded emphatically to LIV Golf’s incursion into the professional game in what Global Golf Post’s Ron Green described as “a sweeping series of changes.”
How “sweeping"? Consider that the game’s elite players have made an “unprecedented commitment” to tee it up against one another at least 17 times in the 2022-23 season. They will be competing for more money – purses of $20 million and up will become commonplace – and far greater rewards will be spread among the tour’s gilded class.
The guys at the bottom of the tour totem pole won’t go away empty-handed, either. Guaranteed income in the form of a half-million-dollar minimum, payments for missed cuts and a travel stipend are part of the enticements to keep the game’s top talent on the PGA Tour.
Here is a glance at the changes spearheaded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and disclosed Aug. 24 in Atlanta before the Tour Championship by commissioner Jay Monahan, effective with the 2022-23 season, which begins Sept. 15:
Three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments (FedEx St. Jude Championship, $20 million purse; BMW Championship, $20 million; Tour Championship/FedEx Cup bonus pool, $75 million)
Genesis Invitational ($20 million)
Arnold Palmer Invitational ($20 million)
Memorial Tournament ($20 million)
WGC-Dell Match Play ($20 million)
Sentry Tournament of Champions ($15 million)
Four additional “elevated events” to be announced, with purses averaging $20 million
Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, Open Championship, with purses to be announced
Players who finish in the top 20 under the current Player Impact Program and players who finish in the top 20 under the revised PIP criteria
Reward 20 players a total (up from 10) for 2022 and 2023
Total bonus pool of $100 million (increased from $50 million) in 2022 and 2023
For 2022, any player on the revised criteria list who is not on the current criteria list will receive a payout equal to 20th position (most likely two or three players)
Players will receive their PIP bonus at the end of the season after competing in the 12 “elevated events” and three non-elevated events, as outlined above
For fully exempt members (Korn Ferry Tour category and above)
Guaranteed league minimum of $500,000 per player (tour will fund any gaps in earnings)
Rookies and returning members will receive money upfront
Must participate in 15 events
Replaces “Play15” bonus (which paid $50,000 to any player who participated in at least 15 events in a season)
For non-exempt members (126-150 category and below)
Receive $5,000 for every missed cut
Subsidizes travel and tournament-related expenses
Does not impact tournament purses
Staff Reports