PGA Tour Prize Money Distribution - Leave As Is, Or...?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by cdnglf

At $10k, you're probably covering your costs; at $3k, you aren't. That strikes me as a very significant difference, particularly for the guys who are just starting on Tour.

Under your proposed distribution, I suspect you'd end up with guys who'd be high enough on the money list to keep their cards, but operating at not much above break even. That doesn't make sense to me.

You seem to be forgetting that if you're on the PGA Tour, your tee-it-up money pays your expenses (and usually then some).

[cdnglf]

Quote:

You seem to be forgetting that if you're on the PGA Tour, your tee-it-up money pays your expenses (and usually then some).

I don't know if that's true (and I don't know if its not true). I've read that since the recession, many journeymen hardly make any endorsement income at all. But that's still kind of beside the point - a system in which a bonafide PGA Tour player can barely cover his costs with his PGA Tour earnings doesn't make sense.

Fundamentally, I don't understand what the advantage is to paying out almost all the money to the top few. It weakens the competitive balance of the tour, and the often-cited "incentive" argument is weak. The benefits that come with a win are immense - a million bucks, a 2 year Tour exemption, invites to the Masters and PGA Championship, entrance into the guaranteed-money event in Hawaii (and sometimes the guaranteed-money WGCs), bigger endorsement deals/bonuses... If someone doesn't find that enough incentive to try his hardest to win, how will a few hundred thousand more change things?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by cdnglf

But that's still kind of beside the point - a system in which a bonafide PGA Tour player can barely cover his costs with his PGA Tour earnings doesn't make sense.

Then it's a good thing I didn't propose such a system. Again, there's tee-up money, plus $5k isn't bad for a WEEK of work. And if you're finishing DFL (but not MCing) each week, you ain't a "bonafide PGA Tour player" anyway.

How about you just answer the question for yourself and we leave it at that? Okay. Good.

[shades9323]

I've never heard the term tee-up money. What is tee-up money?

Originally Posted by iacas

Then it's a good thing I didn't propose such a system. Again, there's tee-up money, plus $5k isn't bad for a WEEK of work. And if you're finishing DFL (but not MCing) each week, you ain't a "bonafide PGA Tour player" anyway.

How about you just answer the question for yourself and we leave it at that? Okay. Good.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by shades9323

I've never heard the term tee-up money. What is tee-up money?

Money paid to play a manufacturer's ball, driver, putter, etc. Done so that they can say "Titleist was played by more than all other balls combined" and crap like that.

[ND Fan]

tee up money ain't much boys for the lower end fellas.

Getting your card is worth about 60K Paying your way around the tour is about 100K.  Geez leave it alone even if you came up the the most practical best solution ever devised it's a mute point because I am pretty sure the tour likes it the way it is.

[allin]

The players have a voice in the payout formula, if they vote to change it they can. Players have income from appearances, endorsements etc., which for many exceeds their prize money. Obviously only my own ego prompts this submission since there is no reason to think that this is a significant issue in golf or even professional golf. I suspect that most players expect to make their money the 3-4 weeks each year they play their best and see the other weeks when they make the cut as make some expense money and chances to keep grinding away on their game.