PGA Tour’s $4.5M Paycheck for Jordan Spieth Justified by Insider Amid His Polarizing Return from Injury
Why was Jordan Spieth exempted from the 2025 Genesis Invitational? What made him eligible for participation in Signature events? Spieth had a less than mediocre 2024 barely able to challenge for a title. Moreover, he had missed most of the last quarter of the season due to his ongoing injury issues. He has been incredibly inconsistent for a while now. Spieth’s relevance as a professional golfer has taken a major hit because of that. And yet, the 31-year-old is getting exemptions in every event possible.
But the criticism against him is just as valid as the reasoning behind his inclusion. The likes of Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, & Co. may not perform at the same caliber as they used to. But, they still are some of the most marketable golfers on the PGA Tour. They bring much more to every tournament they are a part of than just their gameplay. Spieth is extremely influential in the world of golf. Hence, the sponsors don’t mind the criticism as long as they gain the viewership due to his participation.
This was the topic of discussion in the latest Drop Zone podcast between James Colgan, Dylan Dethier, and Sean Zak. Colgan stated that he had spoken to a number of broadcasters recently. Most of them are still baffled about the drastic drop in the PGA Tour’s viewership last year. To this, Zak stated, “My universal truth in terms of what delivers solid ratings is if there are PIP guys involved”. The analyst went on to explain how PIP or the Player Impact program rewards golfers who have had a lot of success on and off the course.
