Remember when the PGA Tour was just about golf? Well, those simpler days are long gone. The introduction of Signature Events and the Tour’s response to LIV Golf has created a widening rift between top players and the rank-and-file membership. And now, one player is pulling back the curtain on the simmering discontent brewing behind the scenes.

PGA Tour player Michael Kim recently made waves with his candid observations on the Fairways of Life with Matt Adams Golf Show, revealing that many of his peers are deeply concerned about the Tour’s current direction. This comes just days after Rory McIlroy confessed how LIV Golf’s emergence has directly benefited his bank account, highlighting the growing divide in professional golf.

PGA Tour’s changing landscape has players worried

“I think many guys on the PGA Tour are pessimistic about the direction that the tour is going, mainly because they feel their jobs are being taken away,” Kim revealed during his appearance on the show. The veteran pro, who has experienced both struggles and success on Tour, described the current situation as a “double-edged sword,” particularly highlighting how the concentration of opportunities at the top leaves many journeymen concerned about their futures.

Kim’s comments cut to the heart of the issue: while elite players thrive in the new system, those outside the spotlight face growing uncertainty. Kim added that the Tour might need to reconsider its approach if it pushes too many professionals to the margins, suggesting that “it’s always easy to add jobs in the future if they feel like they overdid the cut.”

This stark assessment comes at an interesting time, considering that just days earlier, Rory McIlroy, once LIV Golf’s most vocal critic, made a stunning admission about the rebel league’s impact on his own finances. “I look at what I made in 2019 before LIV came around, and I look at what I’ve made after LIV came around, and it’s very different,” McIlroy stated, adding, “I don’t know if I would have been able to say that if LIV hadn’t emerged.”

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The contrast couldn’t be more striking. While McIlroy celebrates his swelling bank account—playing for $20 million prize funds that “would have never happened if LIV hadn’t come around”—players like Kim are giving voice to those who see the other side of this financial reshaping: fewer playing opportunities and growing financial instability for the majority of Tour members.

While Kim’s concerns highlight the human cost of these changes, the numbers reveal how dramatically golf’s financial landscape has transformed in recent years.

PGA Tour purses: The money explosion since 2019

The financial metamorphosis in professional golf has been extraordinary, with average PGA Tour purses surging from $6.2 million in 2019 to $8.8 million in 2025—a 42% increase. The real game-changer has been Signature Events, which now offer massive $20 million purses, with winners collecting between $3.6 and $4.5 million—2.5 times more than regular event champions.

This cash infusion has disproportionately benefited top players. In 2019, the top 10 golfers earned a collective of over $60 million, while by March 2025, they’ve already accumulated more than $40 million and are on pace to exceed $100 million.

Meanwhile, players ranked 75-125 have seen just a 10% increase—effectively a decline when adjusted for inflation.

The opportunity gap has widened alongside the financial one. The Tour has shrunk from 44 full-field events in 2019 to just 28 in 2025, with eight Signature Events restricting fields to 70-80 players. While Kim’s concerns highlight the human cost of these changes, the numbers reveal just how dramatically golf’s financial landscape has transformed in recent years.

Do these numbers alarm you?