Is the PGA Tour’s new Player Impact Program good for golf?

Last month, the PGA Tour launched its polarising Player Impact Program, which will see the ten most influential players split a $40m fund between them based on factors such as their popularity on Google search and the engagement they drive on digital and social channels. Whoever is deemed the most valuable across the various metrics at the end of the year will receive an $8m bonus, with the remaining $32m split among the rest.

Naturally, this favours the better players who already earn huge sums of money

NO 77% through results and sponsors, and has led to mixed reviews from the golfing world. But while many understandably feel this money would be better spent elsewhere, when you look at it objectively, you can understand why it’s been done. The threat of breakaway tours like the Super Golf League is still very real and so something had to be done in response. It’s by no means a perfect solution, and will likely be tweaked in the coming years, but protecting the game’s biggest assets and keeping them all under one roof is paramount.