Tiger Woods has enjoyed a subtle dig at Phil Mickelson after finishing top of the first-ever Player Impact Program list.
The PIP was introduced by the PGA Tour to entice some of its top players to stay put, amid the expansion of rival golf leagues.
They award a sum of money to players who have the most 'impact' through a combination of TV ratings, Google searches, social media popularity and other factors.
Tiger Woods has been out of action since the Masters in Augusta in November 2020. He is continuing to rehab following injuries sustained in a car crash in February of last year.
That makes his Player Impact Program win all the more impressive, although it'll come as little surprise given his marketing value in the sport.
It’s been nearly a year and a half since Tiger Woods played in an official PGA Tour event.
Still, he tops the list for the PGA Tour's new Player Impact Program, taking home $8 million 💰 pic.twitter.com/Eme0OaTsFj— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 2, 2022
Tiger Woods Trolls Mickelson
What made the victory even sweeter was Phil Mickelson's premature announcement in December, claiming he finished top of the PIP.
Here's what he tweeted:
I’d like to thank all the crazies (and real supporters too) for … helping me win the PIP!! To get the 2nd half of the money I have to add an event I haven't played in a while. See you in Kapalua. P.S I'll try and find another hot controversial topic soon.
However, the PGA Tour rubbished Mickleson's claim at the time and said that they wouldn't know who finished top until the Nielsen ratings were out in February.
Tiger Woods couldn't help but carry out a gentle rib on his on-course rival when it emerged he had finished top of the inaugural list:
🤷♂️ whoops 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/SkMTGerVOB
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 2, 2022
Mickelson's tweet hasn't aged well given the controversy he caused with comments around the Super Golf League in Saudi Arabia.
The 51-year-old condemned the actions of the Saudi regime, but also called it 'a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' in a bizarre interview.
It's worth noting despite finishing second, Mickelson still picked up a cool sum of 6 million dollars. Rory McIlroy finished in third.
Here was the Player Impact Program top ten:
1. Tiger Woods
2. Phil Mickelson
3. Rory McIlroy
4. Jordan Spieth
5. Bryson DeChambeau
6. Justin Thomas
7. Dustin Johnson
8. Brooks Koepka
9. Jon Rahm
10. Bubba Watson
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