{"id":204668,"date":"2025-10-11T07:40:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T07:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/204668\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T07:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T07:40:07","slug":"players-fuming-as-pga-tour-champions-cuts-pension-pot-ahead-of-tiger-woods-arrival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/204668\/","title":{"rendered":"Players fuming as PGA Tour Champions cuts pension pot ahead of Tiger Woods’ arrival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Golf\u2019s golden years just got a lot grayer ahead of Tiger Woods<\/a>‘ imminent arrival on the PGA Tour Champions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The over 50s PGA Tour Champions has just cut its player pension by 20%, dropping from $10 million last year to $8 million, according to Golfweek.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The move has left a number of PGA Tour<\/a> greats fuming, less than three months before Woods becomes eligible to join the circuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s disheartening,\u201d veteran Peter Jacobsen, who doubles as a TV commentator, told Golfweek<\/a>. \u201cThe PGA Tour is flush with cash, throwing money at keeping players from going to LIV, and meanwhile, we\u2019re getting crumbs. The Champions Tour is becoming LIV-lite. Too much money is going to too few, and the rest of us are left scrambling.\u201d<\/p>\n

A PGA Tour spokesman has confirmed the pension cut.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Sources say it\u2019s part of a broader belt-tightening \u2014 hundreds of full-time staff were offered voluntary early retirement \u2014 rather than a hit to the senior Tour\u2019s finances.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The real driver? The PGA Tour\u2019s shift to a for-profit model launched in 2024, keeping private equity partner Strategic Sports Group (SSG) happy. SSG invested $1.5 billion and could put in up to $3 billion, seeking a tidy return.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe venture capitalists want profits. They cut costs, trim the fat, and make it look better on paper,\u201d said Tom Pernice Jr., six-time Champions Tour winner. \u201cWhen you\u2019re chasing profits with investors, things change. Any business guy will tell you that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Furyk <\/p>\n

Furyk<\/p>\n

New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who took over in July, made his first Champions Tour visit last week at the Constellation Furyk & Friends in Florida. But for players, his arrival is more threat than reassurance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis guy\u2019s like Keyser Soze from \u2018The Usual Suspects,\u2019\u201d said Billy Andrade, referencing the shadowy crime lord. \u201cHe\u2019s just slashing stuff. Everyone\u2019s taking a pay cut except PGA Tour stars. Our pension should be $20\u2013$25 million by now, not dropping from $10 to $8 million.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related:<\/p>\n

Some veterans, like Jim Furyk<\/a>, urge patience, saying Rolapp\u2019s full strategy has yet to roll out. Change makes players nervous, but the senior circuit still boasts roughly $70 million in annual prize money and continues to attract sponsors in smaller markets.<\/p>\n

The Champions Tour pension, dating back to 1985, was meant to reward longevity, with players earning credits for finishing in the top 48 and playing at least 12 events a season. Though suspended during COVID-19, it has been a supplemental perk for many pros, historically subsidized by the PGA Tour. Cutting $2 million may please accountants and help the Tour push toward profitability, but for the players who rely on it, the cut feels personal.<\/p>\n

With 28 events this season, the Champions Tour is far from over. But for some veterans, the security of their twilight years is slipping through their fingers \u2014 and the PGA Tour\u2019s new business model is putting profits over people.<\/p>\n

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