According to reports, Tiger Woods is in line to receive $100 million in equity for staying loyal to the PGA Tour.
After the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) pumped $3bn into PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit company, 193 players are set to be given equity in the US-based circuit for resisting the advances of LIV Golf.
Of the $3bn fund, roughly $1bn will be split among players on a sliding scale, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan due to inform golfers later today.
Who gets what will be determined by Career Points, a metric which is calculated based on things like years spent on tour, wins and appearances in the Tour Championship, with players separated into groups. The Player Impact Program (PIP) is also taken into consideration.
With all that in mind, it is little wonder Woods tops the Group 1 list by a considerable margin and is therefore primed for the biggest payday.
The 48-year-old joined the PGA Tour in 1996 and is tied for the most wins of all-time alongside Sam Snead with 82. He has also ranked highest in the PIP across the three years since its introduction and has received $35m in payments to date.
With $750m to be shared between the 36 players in Group 1, Woods could receive as much as double that of his nearest challenger, Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman has 24 PGA Tour titles to his name and has lifted the FedEx Cup three times and heads the likes of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, who will be given equity worth around $30m.
Group 2 will be made up of 64 players, who will split $75m in equity, with 57 players in Group 3 to share $30m.
The final $75m will go to 36 retired players, who will still be ranked on Career Points.
Anyone who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf doesn’t qualify, meaning the likes of Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm will miss out.
However, PGA Tour players won’t be allowed to cash in their equity immediately. Instead, half will be available after four years, 25 percent two years after that, with the final 25 percent available another two years later.
Players must also meet the criteria, which includes continued loyalty to the PGA Tour and meeting the minimum membership requirements.
