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PGA Tour Creates $40 Million Pool For Stars That 'Move the Needle'

In an effort to drive more fans and sponsors, the PGA has created a $40 million pool to reward players for their off-course marketing.

Sash

In my opinion, I feel like the game of golf has done a good job of growing the game recently. Personalities like Bryson Dechambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Max Homa have made the sport more inviting. The stigma of country club golf is slowly going away. Of course, there's still a lot of work to be done, but golf is certainly going in the right direction to be more inclusive.

Of course, no golfer moves the needle more than Tiger Woods. He's the pioneer of golfers making a brand for themselves. If it wasn't for Tiger, where would the game of golf be? So for me, this pool should be named something like "The Tiger Woods Moving the Needle Pool". As you can see in the tweet above, the PGA is creating a $40 million bonus pool for players that will drive sponsor and fan engagement. Below are the rules of how players can earn their ranking and money as reported by Golf Digest:

(1) Their position on the season-ending FedEx Cup points list.

(2) Their popularity in Google Search.

(3) Their Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, which places a value on the exposure a player delivers to sponsors though the minutes they are featured on broadcasts.

(4) Their Q Rating, which measures the familiarity and appeal of a player’s brand.

(5) Their MVP Index rating, which calibrates the value of the engagement a player drives across social and digital channels.

(6) Their Meltwater Mentions, or the frequency with which a player generates coverage across a range of media platforms.

In the article, it states that the pool will be distributed among 10 players, with the highest earner receiving $8 million. A PGA spokesperson also said that the PGA is providing resources to help players manage their social media and branding as well.

It seems like the PGA is going all-in on the younger crowd. With how players in other sports brand themselves on social media, I'm sure the PGA wants to get their players on that level. Old golf media will definitely hate this idea. For me, the PGA is doing what every company in the world is doing. Trying to capture the attention of Gen Z.

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