In response to its growing rivalry with LIV Golf, the PGA Tour increased purses and payouts by introducing elevated events to the schedule in 2023. The outcome has been exciting for both players and fans with viewership ratings jumping through the roof compared to a year ago. Find out how the LIV Golf rivalry and purse increases have led to a jump in viewership for PGA Tour events this year.
The elevated events helped guarantee that the world’s best players will be competing on key dates throughout the season. To ensure attendance, players that finish in the top 20 of the PGA Player’s Impact Program must participate in order to receive their share of the PIP bonus.
The PGA Tour has made some big changes this year. Along with the purse value of designated events, they have offered help to players on the Korn Ferry Tour and players outside of the top 125.
All of these changes have led to an increase in viewership for the PGA Tour by an average of 14% compared to 2022.
PGA Tour Designated Event Purse Increases From 2022 to 2023
The PGA Tour has already played more than half of its designated events already this season.
Heading into this week, there are seven PGA Tour designated events left, along with three major championships.
That means there are only nine more chances left in the season for PGA Tour members to take advantage of a $20 million plus purse.
It almost guarantees players like Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm will attend events like the RBC Heritage, which takes place just one week after the Masters.
The purse value average is up 78 percent year-over-year and top-level players like Scheffler and Rahm are racking up wins. So far this season, Rahm has won three events, including the Masters, Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the Genesis Invitational. Meanwhile, Scheffler has taken home the Phoenix Open and the Players Championship.
Check out the chart below for 2022 vs 2023 PGA Tour Purse comparison.
| PGA Tour Event | 2022 Purse | 2023 Purse | Percent Increase |
| Sentry Tournament of Champions | $8.2 million | $15 million | 83% |
| WM Phoenix Open | $8.2 million | $20 million | 83% |
| Genesis Invitational | $12 million | $20 million | 67% |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | $12 million | $20 million | 67% |
| The Players Championship | $20 million | $25 million | 25% |
| WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play | $12 million | $20 million | 67% |
| RBC Heritage | $8 million | $20 million | 150% |
| Wells Fargo Championship | $9 million | $20 million | 122% |
| The Memorial Tournament | $12 million | $20 million | 67% |
| Travelers Championship | $12 million | $20 million | 67% |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | $15 million | $20 million | 33% |
| BMW Championship | $15 million | $20 million | 33% |
| Tour Championship | $70 million | TBD | TBD |
PGA Tour Viewership Rises By 14% For Designated Events
The world’s top golfers aren’t the only ones benefitting from the new changes on the PGA Tour.
In addition to increasing the purse value, the PGA Tour has reduced the playing field for FedEx Cup Tournaments. To incentivize players, the Tour has offered $5,000 in travel stipends for players outside the top 125, who miss the cut.
Also, for players that make the PGA Tour from the Korn Ferry Tour, the Tour offers players a guaranteed $500,000, which has impacted over 200 players.
While the changes have positively impacted players, it has also been more exciting for fans, resulting in viewership increases for several elevated events. For example, the final round of the Genesis Invitational experienced a 31 percent year-over-year increase in viewership. Meanwhile, the Players Championship saw a 42 percent increase in viewers during the final round compared to a year ago.
Currently, the PGA Tour designated event viewership is up 14 percent compared to 2022. In addition, the PGA Tour’s social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube has already increased by 31 percent year-over-year.
Even the PGA Tour’s Netflix Show, Full Swing, has been renewed for a second season. Now, with more money on the line and top-level players participating at designated events, the interest in the PGA Tour has spiked to new highs.
Check out the chart below for the viewership increase on PGA Tour’s designated events.
| PGA Tour Event | 2022 Final Round Viewership | 2023 Final Round Viewership | Percent Change |
| Sentry Tournament of Champions | 714,000 | 603,000 | -16% |
| WM Phoenix Open | 3,593,000 | 3,672,000 | +2% |
| Genesis Invitational | 2,618,000 | 3,424,000 | +31% |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 2,825,000 | 3,259,000 | +15% |
| The Players Championship | 2,910,000 | 4,141,000 | +42% |
| WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play | 1,813,000 | 2,033,000 | +12% |
| RBC Heritage | 3,676,000 | 4,152,000 | +13 |
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