News
Monahan announces Tour changes: Top players to play more, guaranteed money, PIP expansion
Commissioner Jay Monahan announced several enhancements to the PGA Tour and its schedule in a press conference ahead of the Tour Championship, Wednesday.
In the wake of last week’s players-only meeting, Monahan announced additional “elevated events” for 2023. Top players (defined as players who finish in the top 20 under the current Player Impact Program and players who finish in the top 20 under the revised PIP criteria) will participate in at least 20 PGA Tour events (up from 15, previously).
Additional items include an expansion to the Player Impact Program (doubled to award $100 million to 20 players) and guaranteed league-minimum earnings ($500K) for full PGA Tour members.
“Our top players are firmly behind the Tour, helping us deliver an unmatched product to our fans, who will be all but guaranteed to see the best players competing against each other in 20 events or more throughout the season,” Monahan said.
Full details from Wednesday’s announcements:
1. Top players will commit to at least a 20-event PGA TOUR schedule (assuming they qualify), which includes:
A. 12 Elevated Events
1. FedExCup Playoffs
A. FedEx St. Jude Championship – $20 million
B. BMW Championship – $20 million
C. TOUR Championship/FedExCup Bonus Pool – $75 million
2. The Genesis Invitational – $20 million
3. Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard – $20 million
4. the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday – $20 million
5. WGC-Dell Match Play Championship – $20 million
6. Sentry Tournament of Champions – $15 million
7. To be announced: four additional Elevated Events – purses of at least $20 million each
B. THE PLAYERS Championship – $25 million
C. The Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, The Open Championship
D. 3 Additional FedExCup events (of the player’s choosing)
2. For the 2022-23 season, a “top player” will be defined as:
A. Players who finish in the top 20 under the current Player Impact Program AND players who finish in the top 20 under the revised PIP criteria
3. Expansion of the Player Impact Program
A. Reward 20 players a total (up from 10) for 2022 and 2023
B. Total bonus pool of $100 million (previously announced as $50 million) in 2022 and 2023
C. For 2022, any player on the revised criteria list who is not on the current criteria list will receive a payout equal to 20th position (most likely two or three players)
D. Players will receive their PIP bonus at the end of the season after competing in the 12 Elevated Events and three non-elevated events, as outlined above
4. Launch of “Earnings Assurance Program”
A. For fully exempt members (Korn Ferry Tour category and above)
B. Guaranteed league minimum of $500,000 per player (TOUR funds any gaps in earnings)
C. Rookies and returning members will receive money up front
D. Must participate in 15 events
E. Replaces “Play15” Program
5. Travel Stipend Program
A. For non-exempt members (126-150 category and below)
B. Receive $5,000 for every missed cut
C. Subsidizes travel and tournament-related expenses
D. Does not impact tournament purses
Commissioner Jay Monahan discusses the state and future of the PGA TOUR ahead of @PlayoffFinale. https://t.co/x8ADYFdINZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 24, 2022
A copy of the letter Monahan sent to PGA Tour members, via Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport, below.
Here’s the letter Jay Monahan sent to PGA Tour membership today. Some more changes.
—$5,000 for missed cuts
—Getting to Tour Championship comes with a two-year exemption
—No more 15-season minimum for lifetime membership. So Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas immediately have it. pic.twitter.com/JXyiXX09Qz— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) August 24, 2022
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News
Bettinardi BB1 Wide putter review – Club Junkie Reviews
Bettinardi has long been known as one of the best putter manufacturers in golf. The BB line is considered the company’s flagship. This year, Bettinardi took more input from the tour in order to optimize CG placements and refine the feel in the lineup. To optimize the CG and ensure that the sweet sport is in the correct location, Bettinardi engineers reshaped the shoulders and bumpers on the back of the head for better weight placement. The face also features a brand new Perpetual Flymill milling that enhances feel and feedback as well as gets the ball rolling more consistently. You can check out all of the details on the 2024 Bettinardi BB line of putters in our launch report. For a full review check out the Club Junkie podcast on all platforms or on YouTube below.
I have been using a Bettinardi BB8 Wide for the past two years, both previous generations, and really loved those putters. They were the first blade putters I have actually gamed in well over 10 years, so you know I was excited to see the 2024 BB lineup.
The BB1 Wide jumped out to me immediately, because it is similar to the BB8 Wide, just a little softer and with more rounded edges. Out of the box, the BB1 Wide looks great, and I think the new Black Pearl PVD finish has a slight shine to it that looks a little nicer and more high quality than the matte grey from the last generation. The gloss black stepless shaft and bright blue Lamkin grip are solid editions to the whole package and give the putter a little glitz that doesn’t distract. Finally, Bettinardi updated the BB covers to magnetic closure, and I am way too happy about that!
Out on the green, the BB1 Wide frames the ball well and you can easily see that it has a shorter heel-to-toe measurement than the BB8 Wide. From face to back the putter is wide, but I think the stubbiness of the head makes it look a touch wider than it really is. The look from address also greets you with a softer and more rounded look from the bumpers and overall shape of the head. As you would expect the flange is longer and includes a single site line for alignment. I like this setup as a single, longer, site line tends to be what I line up the best. A thicker topline is slightly rolled for a softer and thinner look that blends in well with the profile of this putter head. If you like the larger mallets that have been trending lately then I think you will enjoy looking down at the BB1 Wide.
On the course and the putting green, the Bettinardi BB1 Wide offers a great soft feel at impact, softer to me than last year’s BB8 Wide. Bettinardi’s Perpetual Fly Mill face has deeper grooves that provide this softer feel while still putting a nice roll on the ball. The greens up here in the north are still long and bumpy, but the BB1 Wide provided as smooth of a roll as it could under the conditions. Some playing partners were dealing with big hops and jumps in the first foot of their putts, but I never had that problem with the BB1 Wide. The initial roll limited the hop and skip more than I expected, and I felt like it started the ball on line very well. Aiming the putter was simple and easy as I had the same single site line on my previous putter.
The sole of the BB1 Wide is a little unique as it has a sound slot that runs the length of the cavity from heel to toe. We don’t see a lot of sound slots on retail putters but they are used to fine-tune the sound of a putter at impact. The use of the sound slot on the BB1 Wide definitely increases the audible sound at impact and gives it a slightly more metallic sound. I was a little worried that the sound would have too much “ting” to it or be offensively loud, but I was impressed that it was much more dialed down. Feel off the face was soft, definitely softer than the previous BB line. Now while that softer face is great, it does reduce a little of the feedback on where you struck the shot. You can tell the misses are there but they are a little softer than you would expect from a fully milled putter.
Forgivness with this putter is pretty good, and it will allow you to get away with less-than-perfect strokes. The amount of mass out on the toe and heel make the putter much more stable than a lot of blades. While it isn’t high mallet MOI stable the putter will show you that shots off the toe or heel will stay online well and come to rest right next to the hole. Distance control is precise and you won’t be stunned by a ball that jumps off the face with too much speed or the opposite. Putts on the putting green from the same spot just consistently toll to the same finish line, if they don’t drop into the cup.
Ultimately, a new finish, face milling, and design keep things fresh and high-performance but in a very classic package. Bettinardi did a great job mixing those things to keep the traditionalist and the gear junkies both happy. While the lineup doesn’t feature a massive amount of head shapes, it nails some core designs and should be a big hit for Bettinardi.
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KP
Aug 27, 2022 at 1:54 pm
Dear LIV players,
Thank you for improving our earning potential and quality of life on tour. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Sincerely,
Every PGA Tour player
joe
Aug 26, 2022 at 12:27 am
Monahan should resign if the health of the tour is truly his aim.
I do enjoy people like TW talking about integrity and honor and such. Its good for a laugh
If nothing else LIV has removed most of the D bags from the tour and for that I’m eternally grateful.
I think what we ultimately have to come to grips with is that its too difficult for players to work their way up financially (thinking mini tour guys etc), yet its too demanding on the top talent to keep the pace of the 12 month schedule.
Does anyone remember when the tour had an off season? We started with the masters and ended with the PGA. It was better for the players and better for the fans. Perhaps less money for the tour…is the tail wagging the dog?
Jack
Aug 26, 2022 at 6:33 am
I’m also eternally grateful that most of the D bags went to LIV…
joe and Jack
Aug 28, 2022 at 5:01 pm
You two bottoms should meet up and get it over with. GAW GAW GAW slobber slobber slobber oh Im so eternally grateful GAW GAW GAW
MhtLion
Aug 25, 2022 at 2:05 pm
Great changes! 15 years late, but still a great change.
Tiger McIlroy
Aug 25, 2022 at 5:33 pm
Monahan: “us crusty boomers at PGA are finally making the changes you’ve been begging for decades, and oh by the way Saudi evil, Saudi Saudi Saudi blood money sportwashing buzzword buzzword buzzword, capiche?????”
Gary Ahlert
Aug 25, 2022 at 10:34 am
i agree with what everyone above has said. There ought to be a big thank you and apologies to all those players like Phil, Johnson and the rest who stood above all this nonsense, lies and hypocrisy.
Scott
Aug 25, 2022 at 7:30 am
I find it amazing that Phil and others had been saying “you need to make some changes or we’re looking at something new”, and that after all that has happened, they decide to make some of these changes. I’m not quite sure the logic in allowing some of the biggest names in the sport (Mickelson, Johnson, Koepka, Dechambeau) to leave and be banned from your tour, then afterwards fulfill some of their requests.
I’ve never been offered more money than I’ve made in my entire working career to work for someone I don’t align with morally, so I’m not going to speak to that. I will say, however, that if McIlroy and others are so concerned about this “money grab”, then why are they pushing for so much more money for their own pockets? Does he need the extra millions from the PIP that could easily be donated to the charitable causes the tour helps? Hard to listen to someone criticize the greed of others while they are working to line their pockets more.
GMatt
Aug 25, 2022 at 9:53 am
You hit the nail on the head, what I want to know is where is all this money coming from? If the PGA tour is truly a 503c entity then will the money come from present salaries, charitable donations, increased sponsorship fees?
Just like the present economy, the money has to come from somewhere, they can’t match the ? from the Saudi’s so is the PGATS now unsustainable?
Jack
Aug 25, 2022 at 1:41 am
Just a minor point, they can’t have the Top players competing if 30 percent of them play on the LIV tour. This is a watered-down tour trying to match LIV. The PGAT tried hard to discredit LIV and the players that departed for LIV. The PGAT failed in every way imaginable and now are left scrambling and pushing lame limited field events.
dat
Aug 24, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Flop here, not really advancing the game or tour at all.
Paul
Aug 24, 2022 at 9:29 pm
Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The love of money is the root of all evil. Beware and bow in prayer for forgiveness before the Lord. A once pure game is tainted even more. Repent of your sins and be baptised and you shall be saved. This is why no one plays a 1 iron anymore.
Michael
Aug 24, 2022 at 8:22 pm
Did the PGA tour just rob a bank or hit the lottery? Where’s all this extra money coming from, lesser %’s to charity?
For me, the average golf TV watcher, I do see pluses. Yes, there e/b top-tier & lower tier events. And some lower tier events will not have much star power. But that’s the way professional sports are going anyway. It’s definitely a factor of the rich getting richer but it’s good to see some compensation for everybody on the tour as it may give new guys a bit more time to develop into stars.
I’m glad to see PGA tour commissioner Tiger Woods come out with all this stuff. Ugh, you seriously think Jay Monahan has this was influence? He’s been overmatchef & outplayed since LIV started. Finally had to bring in the big dog to lay down the law & implement some changes.
Tom K.
Aug 24, 2022 at 5:54 pm
The Greg Norman lit a fire under Jay “Klaus Schwab” Monahan.
Roy
Aug 24, 2022 at 4:22 pm
So basically now the PGA tour is a 17 event tour. All the other lower tier events will exist for players to try and qualify for this tour…..
Roy
Aug 24, 2022 at 3:16 pm
SO basically you will have 17 events on the PGA tour. The remaining events on the PGA Tour 2nd Tier will be used to try and qualify for “the worlds greatest tour”
Jolter
Aug 24, 2022 at 2:26 pm
So the rich get richer while the players who actually make up the Tour for all the other events get the shaft. For saying they can’t compete with the money, it sure looks like that is what they are doing. This reactionary philosophy could be the downfall of the PGA Tour as we know it.
GMatt
Aug 24, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Seems as though Jay Boy is scared sh!fleas from LIV and is trying to prevent his top talent from leaving. Problem is the “secondary talent” players aren’t getting squat and it’s giving new Korn Ferry grads an eye opening as to whether to join the PGA Tour and struggle to cover expenses or take whatever offers they may get from Norman. I think Monaghan royally miscalculated and is hedging the future
Sam
Aug 24, 2022 at 12:25 pm
Isn’t this precisely why Phil Mickelson joined LIV originally? To leverage the PGA tour into change. It would seem Phil got them to do exactly what he wanted them to ultimately.
Chris
Aug 25, 2022 at 6:48 am
Exactly. Phil Mickelson was correct all along. The players owe him a debt of gratitude at a minimum. I still see very little change for the bottom players who deserve better compensation.
DG
Aug 24, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Monahan and McIlroy are jokes to use words like “integrity”. Where did all this newfound money for te PGA Tour come from? Monahan has obviously been asleep at the wheel. He makes over $4M per year and needs to be replaced. McIlroy needs to now apologize and recognize the martyrdom of Norman and the LIV players and thank them for having the guts to stand up to the PGA Tour. The abuse and vilification they’ve absorbed has enriched all of the cowardly and/or stupid PGA Tour players. I think it should now be obvious that McIlroy is a money-grubbing hypocrite. Now, fire, Monahan and have the new commissioner welcome the LIV players back.
Kelly
Aug 24, 2022 at 11:26 am
All the PGA talks about is money and looking after the elite players. No different that the LIV tour. I like the big start fields of well over a 100 players. I enjoy watching a Monday qualifier play well. All it seems you are doing is making the rich get richer and the average PGA pro or Horn Ferry Pro have a tougher time to make a living. It seems the PGA only wants to look after the top players. So much for Jay’s put down of the LIV tour. Yes money is the be all and end all for these guys.
Paulo
Aug 24, 2022 at 10:29 am
Too little too late. They need to be proactive not reactive