What is PIP money in golf?

The Player Impact Program (or the PIP) are funds requisitioned by the PGA tour to reward players with "the biggest positive impact on the PGA's business," as put by Andy Pazder, the PGA Tour's Chief Tournament and Competitions Officer. This year, the $100 milllion PIP fund is going to be paid out to the top 20 on the PIP points list.

The gory details and the math behind the rankings are hidden away to everybody except the PGA; however, we know of the general criteria that are used for the ranking:

• Internet Searches
• Earned Media
• Social Media
• TV Sponsor Exposure
• Awareness

Each player is given a score based on the above across the PGA Tour season. Tiger Woods, who was at the top of the rankings in 2022, got the $15 million payout only after playing three tournaments that year.

As seen above, none of the criteria are directly affected by the standings on the Tour itself. Nevertheless, players in-form tend to be mentioned more online and have higher screen time during broadcasts.

Changes to PIP for 2024

The PIP is undergoing changes, which will be implemented from 2024 onward. The $100 million is going to be halved to $50 million, and only ten players will recieve a check from the fund.

The cordoned off $50 million is going to be distributed among the players as part of the FedEx Cup bonus program and the Comcast Business Tour top 10. More of the details were sent out by the memo which has been posted on X.