Tiger Woods Again Wins the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program
Although he played in just three tournaments in 2022, Tiger Woods on Tuesday was named the PGA Tour’s winner of the Player Impact Program and will receive a $15 million bonus from a pool of $100 million.
Rory McIlroy had disclosed two weeks ago that Woods had won and he was second, but the full results were announced with 23 players getting bonus money that ranged down to $2 million.
The program was put in place last year as a way to reward players for their impact beyond simply their golf scores. According to the PGA Tour, the program is “designed to reward members who—through objective measurement criteria—are shown to generate the most positive interest in the PGA Tour.’’
Woods has not played since he missed the cut at the British Open on July 15, but he had a prominent behind-the-scenes role along with McIlroy in helping the Tour make significant changes to its events in 2023, with big prize bumps that will also have an element of the Player Impact Program (PIP) involved.
McIlroy, who won the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai on Sunday as well as the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup in August, will receive $12 million for finishing second.
Woods won the PIP last year when the program was for 10 players and $50 million. It was expanded this year as the Tour will require players to compete in as many as 20 designated events (including major championships) in 2023 to receive the full bonus and to be eligible next year.
Other players to get bonus money are Jordan Spieth ($9.5 million), Justin Thomas ($7.5 million), Jon Rahm ($6 million), Scottie Scheffler ($5.5 million), Xander Schauffele ($5 million), Matt Fitzpatrick ($5 million), Will Zalatoris ($5 million) and Tony Finau ($5 million), rounding out the top 10.
Nos. 11-20 were Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry, Kevin Kisner, Max Homa and Billy Horschel ($3 million each); and Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland ($2 million each).
The bonus is paid with 25 percent coming at the beginning of the 2023 and the remainder coming when a player completes various requirements, including fulfilling the mandatory participation requirement.
The system is being modified in 2023, so the Tour said three additional players who would have qualified with those adjustments will also receive $2 million—Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Young and Sam Burns.
Woods, who turns 47 on Dec. 30, returned in 2022 from serious injuries suffered in a February 2021 car crash. He made the cut at the Masters, then did so at the PGA Championship, where he withdrew after the third round. Woods missed the cut at the 150th Open played at St. Andrews.
Those nine rounds were the only official golf he played this year, but he is about to embark on a busy December.
He will play in next week’s Hero World Challenge, the 20-player event that benefits his foundation. He is also scheduled to play in a made-for-TV match with McIlroy, Spieth and Thomas on Dec. 10.
Although Woods has yet to announce, he is expected to play the PNC Championship, Dec. 17-18, with his son, Charlie. Last year they finished second.