Player Impact Program and the Rewards of Being Mediocre
By now, most of my readers know my total disdain towards the PGA Tour and its mafioso style commissioner Jay Monahan, so my next opinion blog will not be a surprise.
The $40 million dollar Player Impact Program has been clouded under ridiculous secrecy. Most people think that if it needs to be kept secret, is probably garbage, and I agree.
When you understand the purpose of the program, which is to compensate players based on them driving their fan base and sponsor engagement, you come to realize this program is nothing more than a PGA Tour welfare program.
It gives the mediocre player an opportunity to make money, not because they are a talented player, but because they can tweet the most or have the most endorsements.
I have not given the program much though until today. Tiger Woods posted a video of him on Tweeter hitting some golf balls just months after his almost fatal car accident.
Former PGA Tour player Colt Knost was quoted as saying, “So @PGATour we just need to know who finishes 2-10 on the PIP. Enjoy the 8 mil @TigerWoods.”
Seriously Knost? I do not know if he meant to be funny or cynical about it, but it was a ridiculous comment in my opinion.
So, Tiger Woods got over a million hits on Tweeter and that entitles him to make $8 million dollars? The man is lucky to be alive, which is a good thing.
After today’s frenzy, I was reminded how this indeed is a welfare program for professional golfers. Ricky Fowler has been a bust for most of the past two seasons, but he can sell you some mortgages and some beer.
He is a better advertisement agent than a golfer these days and he will probably make more money by selling stuff and tweeting than playing golf, go figure. We will never know because the PGA Tour has decided to keep the program and who gets the money a secret.
What are you ashamed of Jay? You do not want people to find out how mediocre players are going to make more money from this welfare program than on the course?
I understand in today’s society, when everyone is a victim and working hard is an afterthought, the PGA Tour had to do something to try to keep the mediocre players happy.
What kind of message the PGA Tour is sending to kids learning the game? Be a better online personality than a player? Mediocrity pays?
Jay, you and the Tour should be ashamed.