When it comes to the star names and big needle movers in the world of golf, few have ever come close to matching Tiger Woods in terms of impact and influence in the game.
Woods’ 15-major wins, as well as his stunning run from the late 90s into the 2000s ensured golf propelled itself into a new stratosphere.
Over the years, Woods has been the poster boy for the whole sport, with merchandise, computer games and other brands all wanting a piece of the now 49-year-old.
Of course, when it comes to the PGA Tour, there are still few who come close to having the star power that Woods has.
Tiger Woods pulling power remains for the PGA Tour
We all saw at the Hero World Challenge how the eyes of golf fans are on the game whenever Tiger Woods is in town and the addition of his son Charlie to proceedings only brought more people along for the ride.
Still, when it comes down to playing, Woods still only managed to play in five events in 2024 and at times looked like he was struggling to even finish events thanks to his injuries.
But that hasn’t stopped Woods cashing in from the PGA Tour. Reports have now explained how Woods has topped the TOUR’s PIP (Player Impact Programme) for a third time in four years.
It means Woods will pocket around $10m for playing just five events, such is his popularity.
However, over on social media, fans have been pointing out just how ludicrous it is for the PGA Tour that Tiger remains the top draw.
Golf fans split as Tiger Woods pockets another $10m from the PGA Tour
Over on social media platform X, the pay out for Woods has become quite a talking point, with golf fans effectively split on the issue.
One fan suggested it was ridiculous, blaming the commentators and media for only ever speaking about Tiger.
While another fan, @niceupanddown1, suggested Woods has made more than enough money.
“Big Golf is built around giving as many millions to Tiger as possible. It’s astonishing really. Has not he made enough?”
However, in the interest of balance, there was plenty of support for Woods, including @golflifemetals, who suggested Woods is worth even more to the TOUR.
“This was the exact reason for the PIP. The guys that win the events get paid handsomely, the guys that don’t win but add a lot of fan interest, do not get paid enough. Tiger is worth way more to the PGA than he is paid by them, and when he doesn’t make cuts or win, he generates millions of dollars with no compensation.”
Still, in the main, people were complaining, albeit not at Tiger directly, with @yodelingcatfish suggesting the problem lie with the PGA Tour.
“Pathetic, the fact that someone that is irrelevant on the course winning PIP shows the PGAT does not give a damn about anyone but Tiger. Guess it is a small price to pay to keep him interested. Think they would go all in on promoting a player that can actually compete”
Although @Bluemac1975 did offer some perspective, suggesting a lot of players are only where they are now thanks to Tiger.
“It’s crazy and it’s basically the TW tax. TBF the players can’t complain really because he’s the reason they play for the sums they do these days!”
While @dfsupdates called brought up the lack of stars on the current TOUR, mentioning Scottie Scheffler’s year going somewhat ignored by many.
“There is the biggest problem with the current PGAT. The only needle mover is still Tiger. I would love for him to play more and compete but he just can’t right now. Scottie had one of the greatest PGAT years ever and nobody cares.”
It goes without saying, then, that Tiger Woods remains the biggest name in the sport and with him eligible for the Champions Tour next year, there’ll be some nerves within the PGA Tour boardroom about what it means for their own product.
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