For the first time ever, Rory McIlroy has triumphed in the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program, earning a whooping $15 million bonus.
Professional golfer Nate Lashley of the PGA Tour has demanded a leadership transition following Rory McIlroy’s 2023 Player Impact Program (PIP) victory.
Held in 2021, the first PIP was primarily perceived as a social media popularity competition.
Metrics including Google searches, news article mentions, and social media reach and engagement were taken into consideration when designing the PIP, which was created to honor players who attract the greatest attention to the PGA Tour.
Tiger Woods won the cash bonuses in the first two years, taking home $8 million and $15 million, which is not surprising.
Prominent athletes that later joined LIV Golf include Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau received a cash bonus on his first PIP.
DeChambeau later claimed that his winnings were withheld because he was banned from participating in rival leagues.
McIlroy has been unofficially confirmed as the 2023 winner after emails from PGA Tour officials were leaked.
After seeing the results, Lashley posted on Instagram: “How many golf fans actually know what the PIP on the PGA Tour is?
“Would you like to ask a golf/PGA fan if he thinks his $100 million was well spent?”
“The PGA Tour has 150-200 members, but they just spent $100 million on 20 players.”
“That seems a little ridiculous.
“New leadership on the PGA Tour.
The time has come. This is a complete slap in the face for the rest of the PGA Tour players.”
McIlroy’s bonus includes an additional $3 million cash bonus for winning the Race to Dubai title for the fifth time.
Northern Irishman, He won a total of two world championships in 2023.
As of this writing, he has earned approximately $140 million in prize money in his career.
McIlroy, 34, recently stepped down from his influential position on the PGA Tour’s board of directors after a tumultuous two years in men’s professional golf.
He led the tour’s battle with the LIV Golf League, but later claimed he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” after the PGA announced a framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s PIF. PIF bankrolls LIV.
Elsewhere, Jon Rahm, who reportedly agreed to a $600 million contract to join LIV, finished third in the 2023 PIP and secured a $9 million bonus.
In full, 2023 PIP results:
- Rory McIlroy $15m
- Tiger Woods $12m
- Jon Rahm $9m
- Jordan Spieth $7.5m
- Scottie Scheffler $6m
- Rickie Fowler $5.5mm
- Viktor Hovland $5m
- Justin Thomas $5m
- Tommy Fleetwood $5m
- Max Homa $5m
- Xander Schauffele $3m
- Jason Day $3m
- Tony Finau $3m
- Collin Morikawa $3m
- Matt Fitzpatrick $3m
- Wyndham Clark $2m
- Cameron Young $2m
- Justin Rose $2m
- Patrick Cantlay $2m
- Brian Harman $2m