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Rory McIlroy emerges as the victor of the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program.

Rory McIlroy has secured the title of the PGA Tour's 2023 Player Impact Program champion, earning a substantial prize of $15 million. The official announcement was made to players through a memo by PGA Tour executive vice president and chief player officer Jason Gore, with a copy of the memo being shared on social media by tour member Nate Lashley.

At the age of 34, Rory McIlroy achieved two victories on the global stage in 2023 and played a pivotal role in the European team's triumph at the Ryder Cup, contributing an impressive four points. Despite his success, McIlroy found himself in the spotlight as the face of the PGA Tour's battle against LIV Golf. This position left him feeling like a "sacrificial lamb" following the unexpected framework agreement between the tour and LIV's sponsor, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, in June. The news about the Player Impact Program (PIP) comes shortly after McIlroy's decision to step down from the PGA Tour's policy board and a delay in the launch of TGL, the tech-infused golf league he co-founded with Tiger Woods, by a year.

The Player Impact Program (PIP) was introduced in 2021 as a bonus pool aimed at recognizing players who generated increased engagement and publicity for the PGA Tour. Initially implemented as a response to rumors of lucrative offers from the then-Premier Golf League, the inaugural program had some unintended consequences. Five out of the ten winners in 2021, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bubba Watson, eventually left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. However, enhancements to the PIP were announced at last year's Tour Championship to expand its reach. The payout for the 2022 and 2023 PIP pools was increased to $100 million, with 20 players being rewarded, a significant increase from the $40 million distributed in the previous year.

The process of compiling the list involves the PGA Tour utilizing various metrics, including internet searches, the number of news articles featuring a player's name, the duration of a player's sponsor logos appearing on screen during PGA Tour telecasts on Saturdays and Sundays, a player's overall awareness score among the wider US population, and a social media score that takes into account a player's reach, conversation, and engagement metrics. In addition to Google Search, Meltwater, and Nielsen measurements, the 2023 list incorporated new criteria such as general population awareness and fan awareness.
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