PIP’s Tiger Woods Boost Sparks Outrage Over Scheffler Snub
Tiger Woods claimed the top spot in the PGA Tour’s 2024 Player Impact Program (PIP), taking home a whopping $10 million prize. Although his victory sparked celebration among fans, it raised eyebrows among a few insiders.
It came as a shock, as he had played only five events throughout 2024 and still managed to win the tour. The backlash intensified as World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, despite numerous major wins, earned $8 million for finishing second, while Woods took home a whopping $10 million after just five events.
One of the Insiders commented,
“The PIP was created as a way to give Tiger Woods money.”
On his win, a tour insider bluntly commented,
“The Tour needed a way to pay Tiger without him having to win. The PIP was that way.”
The Player Impact Program (PIP) was established in 2021 to reward players based on their fan interaction and media hype. However, some insiders long felt that PIP favors established players over the golfers who topped the leaderboard.
Although Woods is a renowned golfer, Scottie Scheffler was not far behind in making a buzz in the media in 2024. Starting from the birth of his first child to unfair arrest, covered by CNN for weeks, Scottie was in the media spotlight throughout the year.
Even with his game in 2024, he stunned everyone with his major wins in tournaments like the RBC Heritage, Memorial Tournament, Tour Championship, and Olympic Gold Medal in the Men’s Golf category. Despite dominating both the media and the leaderboard, Scheffler was edged out by the veteran Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods vs Scottie Scheffler- Know The Statistics of 2024-2025
| Statistics (Year 2024) | Tiger Woods | Scottie Scheffler |
| Events | 5 | More than 27 |
| Won | 0 | 9 |
| Finished in Top-10 | 0 | All |
| World Golf Ranking | Outside Top 800 | 1 |
| Strokes Gained | Negative or below average | +2.98 per round (Led Tour) |
At 49, Tiger Woods has recorded 82 all-time PGA Tour victories with 15 major tournaments. In contrast, 29-year-old Scottie has bagged 15 PGA Tour wins with 2 major tournaments. One is a seasoned veteran, while the other is the rising star in the golf world.
However, a comparison between the two is unfair, as one has mastered his game over the years while the other is yet to break several records.
Reaction of The PGA Tour
After being called a popularity contest and receiving continuous criticism in 2024, the Professional Golfers’ Association Tour decided to replace the Player Impact Program (PIP) with the Player Equity Program (PEP) in 2025, a system that rewards players based on their performances in tournaments.
The PGA Tour, however, maintained its stance and clarified that Tiger was rewarded based on his Google search popularity, media mentions, Nielsen ratings, social media engagement, and brand appeal. The officials of the PGA Tour also clarified that the results were “true and fair.”
Now, the insiders are eagerly waiting to witness how “fair and square” the Player Equity Program treats the golfers, especially after their massive criticism of the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program decision in 2024, the Tiger Woods vs Scottie Scheffler game.
