In February of this year, Tiger Woods was in a terrible single-car crash in Southern California. His SUV went off the road after he was traveling more than 45 miles per hour above the posted speed limit. Woods sustained severe injuries to his leg and responders say he was lucky to escape the crash alive.
As a result, Woods hasn't played a single round of professional golf in 2021. Yet he'll still make nearly $8 million this calendar year from the PGA.
It's all thanks to a new program from the PGA Tour. The association introduced the Player Impact Program to reward golfers with strong social media presences. At one time the best golfer in the world, Woods still has legions of fans and draws plenty of interest from the sport.
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Woods is by far the number one most-searched-for golfer, and he's due a payout of about $7.97 million if that holds true through the end of the year. Other highly ranked golfers, including Jordan Speith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, and Jon Rahm are all projected to receive money from the Player Impact Program, as well.
Woods hasn't played in a golf tournament since the 2020 Masters. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional springtime tournament took place in November. Woods was seeking to defend his 2019 title; ultimately, Johnson won after shooting a record 268 over four rounds.
The 45-year-old Woods had been battling an injury ever since, though the car crash added new damage to the list. He suffered open fractures of the upper and lower tibia and fibula bones. His golfing has been sparse in 2021, only making an appearance on a course earlier this month to support his son Charlie competing in a junior event.
It still may be a while before we see Woods back in action at a PGA event. But as long as Google and social media stick around, he'll continue to see opportunities for success.
