'An Absolute Kick In The Face’ - PGA Tour Pro On ‘Ridiculous’ PIP As McIlroy And Woods Pocket $25m In Bonus Money

Nate Lashley says it's "a little ridiculous" that the PGA Tour have spent $100m on 20 players after he posted the PIP results that saw Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods again get huge bonuses

Nate Lashley hits out at PIP after Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods win big
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Paul Higham
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PGA Tour pro Nate Lashley posted this year's Player Impact Program (PIP) results on social media, branding it "an absolute kick in the face to the rest of the PGA Tour players" after Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods again topped the standings.

Lashley says "it's a little ridiculous" that the PGA Tour is dishing out $100m on just 20 players via the PIP - with Rory McIlroy topping the table and receiving $15 million, while Tiger Woods bags another $12m despite hardly playing this year.

Jon Rahm rounds out the top three with a $9m bonus for the Spaniard with Open champion Brian Harman grabbing the final place and an extra $2m.

Lashley posted the PGA Tour memo with the results of the PIP, which it says is "designed to reward members who - through objective measurement criteria - are shown to generate the most positive interest in the PGA Tour".

World No.190 Lashley is far from happy with the PIP though, which he says is an insult to the rest of the PGA Tour playing membership.

Lashley even seemed to put Jay Monahan's position into question as he called for new leadership of the PGA Tour as a result of how they've chosen to spend this money.

"How many golf fans actually know what the PIP on the PGA Tour is? Would love to hear from golf/PGA fans if they think this $100 million was spent well?" Lashley wrote on Instagram. 

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"There’s 150-200 members of the PGA Tour and they just spent $100 million on 20 players. Seems a little ridiculous. Time for new leadership on the PGA Tour. This is an absolute kick in the face to the rest of the PGA Tour players."

In the memo, the PGA Tour says the PIP will be cut from $100 to $50m for next season with just the top 10 players rewarded.

The remaining $50m saved will be allocated to the FedEx Cup and among "other player programs" according to the PGA Tour memo.

The PIP is seen by many as a tool used by the PGA Tour to try and protect their top players by handing them more money to fend off LIV Golf approaches.

Lashley is obviously not a fan, and he'll not be the only player among the rest of the membership who will feel the money could have been spent elsewhere.

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Paul Higham
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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