Andrew "Beef" Johnston has slammed the PGA Tour's decision to hand out hefty loyalty bonuses to golfing titans like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, branding the move as "mad". The outspoken golfer voiced his concerns over the sport's escalating financial focus, which he believes is "so damaging" for the game.
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The PGA Tour recently distributed equity packages to its players in a bid to counter the allure of the rival LIV Golf league, which has been tempting players with substantial financial incentives since its inception two years ago. In an effort to retain its stars and deter them from joining the competing league, the tour awarded stakes in PGA Tour Enterprises based on "career points", a system that rewards players for their historical performance and contribution to the tour.
Tiger Woods emerged as the top beneficiary, pocketing an equity package estimated at a staggering £80 million. Close behind was Rory McIlroy, who secured an equity worth approximately £40 million, while Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth each bagged deals around the £25 million mark.
These equity stakes are set to mature over eight years, potentially increasing in value, which means players will need to stay loyal to the PGA Tour throughout this period to reap the full financial rewards.
The move is designed to encourage players to resist the temptation of LIV Golf and its lucrative contracts and prize money, but Johnston a one-time winner on the DP World Tour thinks the financial discourse surrounding the sport is detrimental.
"I'm starting to question how the PGA Tour differs from LIV Golf," he penned in Today's Golfer. "I recall when LIV emerged and Jay Monahan stated his Tour prided itself on being a meritocracy with clear paths for the players and them rewarded for their performances.
"Fast forward to now and we've got the Player Equity Program doling out massive sums to players for their loyalty. $100m for Tiger, $50m for Rory, $30m each for Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. Essentially, it's the PGA Tour saying, 'Here's a heap of cash from us so you don't take a heap of cash from them'.
"It's insanity, man. Everything has become about rewarding the top tier of the game and it's due to the divide. It's incredibly damaging for our sport. Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have had difficulty attracting large viewing figures this season, epitomised by The Masters drawing one of its smallest final-round audiences ever. Johnston believes the constant talk of money has turned fans away."
"Whenever I discuss golf, money comes up before player performance. It's not wholesome," he added. "The divide in golf is turning people off. You know things are heading the wrong way when viewing figures are down for The Masters a Masters that saw everyone back together, Tiger playing, a great leaderboard, and the most dominant player in the game winning again.
"The game has become top-heavy and defensive. It's like football a player has a good season for his club or there's a threat of him leaving and he's rewarded with this enormous contract to push his value up or to keep him at the club."
