Max Homa, one of the more fan-friendly players on the PGA Tour, is himself a fan of a program that recognizes the fan-friendliest of players.
But then the Player Impact Program began.
“I’m not a huge fan of the execution of the thing,” Homa said on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar.
Started this year, the $40 million program will reward 10 players based on their “impact score,” an amalgam of metrics based largely on popularity. “For us, it’s all about getting our players to engage in our game, help grow our Tour and help grow their own respective brands,” Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said while describing it at last month’s Tour Championship.
But, in that same press conference, Monahan said “we don’t have any intention on publicizing” who will earn the money, and that’s where Homa’s issue lies.
“Where do we stand on these PIP standings? I got a huge issue with this damn thing,” Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz said. “There’s no rules, there’s no standings, no one knows. You’re the guy that everyone thinks of Golf Twitter; you’re the first name that comes to mind. What happens at the end of the year if they’re like, ‘OK, it’s all done, we paid it out, and you don’t have any direct deposit?’”
“I would promise you I’m not getting a direct deposit from this thing,” Homa said.
“How do you know?” Stoltz asked.
“I am frustrated — I don’t know, but I know. I am frustrated with the fact that there’s no, like, list,” Homa said. “This is such a good idea if there’s like a presentation at least of who won. So I don’t get it.”
Still, what Homa does understand is that the PIP fund will not reward just those who are popular on social media, a somewhat popular belief of the program. And Homa, owner of one of golf’s most popular Twitter accounts, is all for that.
“What did you think when they first announced it?” Stoltz asked. “Like, hey, here comes this new program, it basically goes to the most popular people on social media. Were you like, oh boy.”
“We’re about to retire,” co-host Colt Knost said.
“No, I’m pretty good at reading, so I read how the thing is going to work so I had a feeling this is going to be fun for people like me and Hermie [Jim Herman] and Joel [Dahmen] and Harry Higgs and all these guys used to having funny jokes on Twitter, but it’s not,” Homa said. “This wasn’t for us. And it shouldn’t be for us.
“It should be for the guys who are bringing in money for us. Like we’re making it on the side. People just don’t get it. Like, I’m making more money in these golf tournaments because of the 10 guys who will get this PIP money.”
