Tiger Woods wins inaugural Player Impact Program, collects $8 million

Tiger Woods has not competed in any official tournament for over a year but he still beat PGA Tour big hitters Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm to win the inaugural Player Impact Program and its $8 million first prize, the US-based circuit said on Wednesday. The concept, which awarded a combined $40 million to the top 10 finishers, was implemented in 2021 as a way to reward players who positively "move the needle" and generate the most positive interest in the PGA Tour.

Woods suffered career-threatening leg injuries in a car crash last February and spent a sizeable portion of the year out of the spotlight before competing with his 12-year-old son in an unofficial 36-hole tournament last December. A month earlier Woods lit up social media when he posted a video of him swinging a club beside a half-full bucket of balls, along with the caption "making progress." Mickelson, who became golf's oldest major champion at last year's PGA Championship and is currently taking a break from the sport amid fallout from comments he made about the Saudi-funded golf league, collected $6 million as the runner-up.

McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas finished third to sixth, respectively, and each received $3.5 million. Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Rahm, and Bubba Watson rounded out the list and each received $3 million.

An individual's impact score was determined through five metrics: popularity in internet searches; unique news articles that include a player's name; a player's reach on social media; Nielsen Brand Exposure rating and their general awareness among broad US population. Results were certified by an independent auditor.