The PGA Tour put in place this year a $40 million bonus plan that will pay the top 10 players based on how much they “move the needle” rather than their performance on the course.
The idea is to reward players who drive engagement with sponsors and fans. It had been studied in the wake of an effort by a rival entity known as the Premier Golf League that over the past several years has attempted to lure players to a new circuit that would set up a worldwide schedule with guaranteed payments.
Known as the Player Impact Program, the plan was first reported by Golfweek. The PGA Tour confirmed several of the details to ESPN, including the $40 million bonus pool that will pay $8 million to the player in the No. 1 position, with amounts decreasing down to the 10th spot. The rankings will be determined by several factors that gauge impact.
As part of the program, the Tour has created a new business unit called the Players Partnerships within the Players Relations Department. It is focused on all PGA Tour players and trying to help them maximize off-the-course business opportunities.
“In pro golf, there is a dynamic that exists in no other sport or business,” said one player agent who did not want to be identified. “The needle-movers, the guys who are responsible for revenue, go out and compete at the risk of not being compensated. Tom Cruise doesn’t shoot a movie for free and see how it goes. The CEO at IMB could have performance and stock-equity bonuses. But no one goes to work in a demand position and have no guaranteed compensation.
The Tour said those who receive the funds will be determined based on their “Impact Score,” which will be generated from several different metrics, including their popularity in a Google search, the Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, their Q rating, the MVP index rating and their Meltwater Mentions, which measures the frequency that a player generates coverage across various media platforms