We've launched the new forums! Read more here

PGA Tour Prize Money Increases

Go to article
I thought the PGA Tour was about legacy, prestige and tradition. Apparently it IS about money. This is great for the top 50 in FedEx points, but how is this limited field event, the same 50 guys playing against each other in all of these events, not an "exhibition" like Monahan described the LIV events? Also, what does all this money thrown at the top players do for the fans and viewers? How about the caddies or the young guys up and coming? Are they going to wait a few years to hopefully make it into that top 50 to cash in or are they going to go for LIV money early?
 
CrashTestDummy said:
If they made the changes a long time ago on their own accord by listening to the player's issues and worked with them better. I'm sure it has been a long time well before LIV that the players have wanted a lot of changes. Also obviously, they are not taking out loans and running themselves financially thin to dump more money into the tour, and they have a ton of money laying around (about 1 billion in cash). So, it really looks like they didn't want to make any changes until LIV came around.
Click to expand...
I don’t often view myself as a glass half full person, but I feel like I’m looking at the PGA Tour through rose-colored glasses. While I agree they should have made these changes proactively, I applaud them for making improvements moving forward. As a wise man recently said, you can’t drive a car looking in the rear view mirror.
 
RealPretendPsychic said:
I don’t often view myself as a glass half full person, but I feel like I’m looking at the PGA Tour through rose-colored glasses. While I agree they should have made these changes proactively, I applaud them for making improvements moving forward. As a wise man recently said, you can’t drive a car looking in the rear view mirror.
Click to expand...
I agree with this fully. While it was forced and I wish they didn’t try to bully and shame with threats, this is a step in the right direction to right the ship and move forward with a deep tour and great events
 
JB said:
I agree with this fully. While it was forced and I wish they didn’t try to bully and shame with threats, this is a step in the right direction to right the ship and move forward with a deep tour and great events
Click to expand...
I couldn’t give a damn about their top 50 big money exhibitions, but love the change to the season calendar and veeeery curious to see what they have in store for 70-125 even though I’m disappointed they’re not doing more to target those guys. Which I do understand from a business and visibility perspective.
 
 
Right, many of these guys make a ton of money to play golf, I'm not killing the tour because they didn't offer more before today, it's a business and they made a good call.

If fans are so upset with the PGA over this they should get the LIV hat and go support that tour, it's where pro golfers are treated like royalty, you'll never be offended by their paychecks.
 
MrDC said:
Right, many of these guys make a ton of money to play golf, I'm not killing the tour because they didn't offer more before today, it's a business and they made a good call.

If fans are so upset with the PGA over this they should get the LIV hat and go support that tour, it's where pro golfers are treated like royalty, you'll never be offended by their paychecks.
Click to expand...
People don’t have to choose do they? Seems odd.
 
PGA should have left LIV alone… at worst it could have been “exhibition” golf for fans (massive pay day for players) with a limited and very elite field… PGA runs like usual, careers and legacies are made there but the best of the best play a few extra two day tournaments in a team based format. Win win for everyone that way
 
Last edited:
gmiller598 said:
I volunteer for the Memorial Tournament and I'm not buying anything except maybe an extra shirt or rain jacket if I want it. I get 2 free passes for the tournament and the uniform shirt for nothing other than 12 hours of my time to help the event be successful. I'm not asked to pay a dime to volunteer my time if I don't want to.

I've heard of people paying to volunteer at majors and I don't know about other tournaments on the PGA tour but I suspect the tournament committees for each event are responsible for their own volunteers. Since the PGA doesn't control the majors as everyone here loves to point out, I can only assume the USGA is responsible for staffing the US Open and the PGA of America is responsible for staffing the PGA.

EDT: I also got tickets for free meals that could be used at the course concessions stands for my time since I didn't actually work at the course much during my volunteer sessions.
Click to expand...

This doesn't sit well with me that you have to "pay money" to volunteer for a PGA tour event. They make it seem like they are the ones doing the volunteers favors.
 
Bernoulli said:
"Operating reserve. They had it, or a significant portion of it, available.
Click to expand...

But here's the question nobody is answering.

Was that operating reserve being held just at the whim of the greedy executives? Or was it being held by them with the consent of the members and the player-representative committee members (or whatever it's called)?

That's a big difference. Everybody is assuming it's the former. Furthermore, for what purpose was it being held?
 
CrashTestDummy said:
This doesn't sit well with me that you have to "pay money" to volunteer for a PGA tour event. They make it seem like they are the ones doing the volunteers favors.
Click to expand...
Considering there was quite the volunteer waitlist for the US Open, it seems like most people disagree.
 
CrashTestDummy said:
This doesn't sit well with me that you have to "pay money" to volunteer for a PGA tour event. They make it seem like they are the ones doing the volunteers favors.
Click to expand...
Wait wait wait…. You pay to volunteer?! I’ve worked high end courses and volunteered at a PGA event… maybe it’s because it was a smaller event or because I was working a course at the time but it was free to provide free labor. Anything else is ridiculous.
 
If these changes were being discussed for some time and just accelerated due to LIV, did the PGA Tour or its PAC do a poor job of communicating what was in the pipeline to the rest of the membership that might have staved off these defections?
 
AlHacks said:
Wait wait wait…. You pay to volunteer?! I’ve worked high end courses and volunteered at a PGA event… maybe it’s because it was a smaller event or because I was working a course at the time but it was free to provide free labor. Anything else is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

The amount depends on the event you volunteer. It is around $50-$100 to volunteer for PGA tour events. The bigger the event the more it costs. Majors not run by the PGA tour cost the most. 2022 US Open was $240, but that was run by USGA. You do get perks like clothing, food, access/tickets to the tournament, among some other things, but still seems strange to have to pay to work. :LOL: However, people line up to volunteer, so more power to them.
 
Spoiler, they're keeping the winner's payout the same but giving places 2-77 huge increases
 
The PGA Tour doesn’t pay spectators enough to attend events!
 
CrashTestDummy said:
This doesn't sit well with me that you have to "pay money" to volunteer for a PGA tour event. They make it seem like they are the ones doing the volunteers favors.
Click to expand...
I can only speak for the Memorial Tournament as a first class organization. They never asked anything of us to pay except additional clothing if necessary but it was not required. Even the year I did decide to spend $30 bucks for a rain jacket was a drop in the bucket when we receive week long passes in return that sell for (I think) $160 bucks each.
 
Golf existed long before PGA Tour and will after all this mess. The majors existed long before the Tour.
The tour is a golf business and they were bullshitting us when they talked about legacy. The same for all paid golf commentators.
Phil has been crucified but it looks like he wasn’t that wrong. I’ve lost a great deal of respect for the PGA Tour.
 
JB said:
Starting in 2023, a lot of changes will be taking place on the PGA Tour to combat the rival LIV Tour. Despite the stern thoughts early on that this was not about money, but rather legacy, financial changes are being made including some tournaments getting a big purse increase.

Sentry: $15m from $8m
Genesis, Arnold Palmer Invivational, Memorial and WGC: $20m from $12m
Players: $25m from $20m
FedEx St Jude and BMW: $20m from $15m

And you can expect more confirmations coming soon on major changes taking place.


golfbet-1024x614.jpeg




Continue reading...
Click to expand...
Interesting..I wonder what the motivation was? 🤔
 
Wasn't a big complaint of the tour players is that they down own any of their actual clips or highlights? So maybe something is needed that they would get some pay everytime one of their clips is used in an ad or pga show?
 
What’s the tours goal in doing this?

to keep more players from jumping ship? The opportunity to play for more money as opposed to the guaranteed cash Liv is offering doesn’t seem like the solution there.

the 50 person exhibition could be cool IMO but I don’t see that as a incentive for players who are considering leaving to stay either.

The fact of the matter is that the tour reacted reactively as opposed to proactively. It’s much too late to shut this can of worms now.

I think Jay has shown his true colors in this and because of that the history of golf is fragmented.

Now us fans get a devalued product on both ends (LIV AND PGA). The players win in both situations ( more $$$) and the fans who help pay those purses lose with a split talent field and more than likely a worse viewing experience which was already more than suspect.

sad
 
RealPretendPsychic said:
I don’t often view myself as a glass half full person, but I feel like I’m looking at the PGA Tour through rose-colored glasses. While I agree they should have made these changes proactively, I applaud them for making improvements moving forward. As a wise man recently said, you can’t drive a car looking in the rear view mirror.
Click to expand...
Applaud for what? LIV should be getting the applause for forcing the PGA to open the vault and make long overdue changes.
 
Hacker67 said:
Applaud for what? LIV should be getting the applause for forcing the PGA to open the vault and make long overdue changes.
Click to expand...
You quoted it. For making improvements moving forward. Feel free to applaud LIV, I’m sure they’d appreciate the feedback. As shown in their financial reporting, the PGA Tour was profitable and there was no direct competition, so they maintained the status quo. Change is uncomfortable. People and organizations often don’t like to make change unless forced to. Enter LIV. Time for the PGA Tour to evolve or die.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top