Former world number one and veteran player, Tiger Woods has emerged as the PGA Tour player who generated the most media attention this year, as he claimed the top spot on the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Programme. He would receive $15 million for that achievement. 

The PIP is an initiative that was launched in 2021 to reward players who generate the most media attention about the Tour. 

This is coming despite the fact that Woods played just three events this year, and he is winning it for the second time in a row. Woods only played three events this year as he continues to recover from an accident he was involved in last February. But that did not stop him from being the most-talked-about player in the sport in 2022. 

Part of the media buzz came when he was inaugurated into the World Golf Hall of Fame back in March. The 15-time major winner also became a trending topic when he announced that he would be playing at The Masters and two other events this year. More recently, Woods has been in the news over his criticism of players who joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational. It is safe to say that he was a trending topic for most of the year. 

Coming in at number two is Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy. McIlory has been a leading critic of the LIV series and has set himself as an example for the rest of the Tour players to follow. For coming second, the 2022 FedEx Cup champion takes home $12 million just a few days after he won the Harry Vardon Trophy for the DP Tour’s golfer of the year – his fourth time winning it. 

Other players who were named as winners include Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Tony Finau, Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, and Will Zalatoris.