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Tiger Woods transformed the sport of golf in several ways, but one of the biggest influences he’s had is the rapid ballooning of event purses over the course of his career. Woods made golf popular, and in turn, made his competitors a ton of money.

According to Business Insider , a total of $101 million in event prize money was earned by PGA Tour golfers in 1996, the year before Woods’ dominant Masters victory. By 2008, that figure had risen to $292 million.

The result? Many PGA Tour stars who were at their best in the 2000s became incredibly rich. The PGA Tour keeps an updated weekly list of its all-time money list, and it’s filled with golfers who battled Woods week in and week out. Woods and Phil Mickelson are the obvious top two, but the rest of the top 10 may surprise you.

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Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

Tiger Woods is clear at the top of the pile of PGA Tour earners of all time, but which other players take up the top 10 spots?

top pga tour earners all time

All the talk right now might be about Saudi billions but it certainly pays to be good at golf on the PGA Tour with millions of dollars on the line every week. 

Throw in a lucrative pot of gold for winning the season-long FedEx Cup race, and life on this circuit can prove to be very rewarding indeed.

That has certainly proven the case for the top 10 career money leaders in PGA Tour history. You can probably guess who might be a runaway No.1, but let's start at No.10 and work our way down. 

Matt Kuchar  comes in at No.10 with a cool $53,266,130. Kuchar has won nine times in total on the tour with his first victory coming at the 2002 Honda Classic and his last at the 2019 Sony Open in Hawaii. 

It's probably fair to say Kuchar's best golf is behind him now at the age of 43 and he will no doubt be a little frustrated to have never won a major championship having come so close down the years, especially when losing out to Jordan Spieth at the 2017 Open Championship.

But as Phil Mickelson showed when winning the US PGA last year at the age of 50, you're never too old to win a major - so let's see if Kuchar can achieve that over the coming years.

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Next up at No.9 on the list is Europe's all-time Ryder Cup points scorer  Sergio Garcia , winner of 11 titles and a current PGA Tour earnings of $53,826, 259. 

A fresh-faced Garcia first burst onto our TV screens when running Tiger Woods close to the 1999 US PGA.

Garcia had gone years without tasting a major victory, going extremely close at both the US PGA and Open Championship, but the Spaniard managed to finally achieve his dream when defeating Justin Rose in a playoff for the 2017 Masters.

It's fair to say Garcia has been one of the hot-heads on the tour down the years, but since becoming a father in recent years he certainly seems to have mellowed somewhat. 

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

At No.8, it's England's  Justin Rose , winner of 10 PGA Tour titles and of course the 2018 FedEx Cup, which has resulted in career earnings of $56,276,812.

Rose first burst to worldwide prominence as a fresh-faced 17-year-old when holing out from 50 yards for birdie on the 18th hole at the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Rose won four times on the European Tour before he picked up his first win in America at the 2010 Memorial Tournament with a three-shot victory over Rickie Fowler. 

Winning quickly became a habit for Rose and it led to his greatest moment when landing the 2013 US Open with a two-shot win over Jason Day and Phil Mickelson at Merion. 

Rose would go on to win Gold at the Olympics in 2016, two years before becoming World No.1 for the first time in his career in a season that saw him also win the FedEx Cup. 

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

At No.7 we have Australia's  Adam Scott , the man with the smoothest golf swing the game has potentially ever seen. 

Scott, now 41, has accumulated a cool $57,424,999 on the PGA Tour having won 14 times on the circuit, with his first coming back at the 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship. 

His greatest moment came at Augusta when winning the 2013 Masters but if truth be told we feel Scott should have won a couple more majors, none more so than when throwing away the Claret Jug down the stretch to Ernie Els in 2012.  

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

A man that needs no introduction is  Rory McIlroy , who comes in at No.6 with $59,274,984 career earnings on the tour. 

Despite doing just about everything in the sport, getting to World No.1, winning four majors and clinching two FedEx Cup titles, you could argue that McIlroy has underachieved in his career and no doubt many of you would agree. 

McIlroy is still only 32 years old so has plenty of time on his side to slip on that Green Jacket he so desperately craves in order to join an elusive group of players to win the career grand slam. 

Will he do it this year? We certainly hope so, but we can see it happening at some point in time. We also fully expect to see Rory end up moving quickly up this list.

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Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

At No.5 we have the Big Fijian  Vijay Singh , winner of 34 PGA Tour titles including three majors and the 2008 FedEx Cup. 

Now 58 and applying his trade on the PGA Tour Champions, Singh managed to chalk up a huge $71,236,216 in earnings on the tour. 

Singh, who was the leading money winner on the tour in 2003, 2004 and 2008, became World No.1 for the first time in his career in 2004. 

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

In at No.4, we have  Jim Furyk,  winner of 17 titles on the PGA Tour including the 2010 FedEx Cup. 

Furyk might have one of the most bizarre golf swings ever seen, but it has certainly worked down the years and it just goes to prove there is no one way to play golf. Let the American be an example to many of you out there. 

Furyk, who has won $71,507,269, is the only player in the tour's history to shoot a round of 58 in competition - and he also shot a round of 59. 

His greatest moment on the tour came in 2003 when winning the 2003 US Open at Olympia Fields, the only major of his career. 

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

Next up we have  Dustin Johnson , who is still going strong on the tour with 24 wins and counting. 

Johnson has amassed a whopping $72,687,258 on the PGA Tour, and still at the age of 38, we feel he has every chance of going on to finish this list at No.2. 

Johnson has won two major titles at the 2016 US Open and 2020 Masters, and he also won the 2020 FedEx Cup. 

We can see Johnson easily winning more than 30 times on the tour before all is said and done and that would more than likely see him surpass the $100 million mark in career earnings.

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

At No.2 is perhaps one of the most controversial figures in all of golf right now,  Phil Mickelson. 

While he probably doesn't care how much he's won on the tour, we can inform Mickelson he's won $94,955,060 in career earnings.

Mickelson has won an incredible 45 times on the PGA Tour including six majors, with the highlight of his career coming last year when becoming golf's oldest major champion at the 2021 US PGA.

Lefty has caused plenty of controversy in recent weeks in regards to his comments about life on the tour and his desire to join a new Saudi Golf League.

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

Given Mickelson's recent words, we are fairly certain he won't be adding too many more dollars to his current earnings, but let's see what transpires. 

And in at No.1, no doubt to everyone's surprise is  Tiger Woods , winner of a record-tying 82 PGA Tour titles and an unbelievable $120,851,706 in PGA Tour career earnings. 

Woods has of course won 15 majors with his first major victory coming in a record-breaking Masters romp in 1997 and his last of course at the 2019 Masters against all the odds.

Woods is now back in action after making the cut at The Masters and he will now be hopefully looking to add to his $120 million total. 

The former World No.1 said he is ready for the fight and that he wants to go another few rounds in his attempt to win more tournaments.

I don't think there will be one dry eye in the house should Woods go on to land that 83rd title on the PGA Tour. 

Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

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The 30 highest-paid golfers of all time

  • We ranked the top 30 golfers of all time based on career earnings on the PGA Tour and European Tour combined.
  • Not surprisingly, Tiger Woods is at the top and it is not even close.
  • There are a lot of names that would likely surprise most fans, even near the top of the list.
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories . 

Insider Today

Professional golfers can have careers that are highly lucrative.

Their careers can last well into their 40s and 50s and there are events nearly year-round with tours all over the world. That means lots of opportunities to take home a paycheck.

Below, we take a look at the 30 highest-paid golfers of all time. The list is skewed towards recent players, but there is a mix of both current and previous generations, as well as both PGA Tour and European Tour greats. 

Both PGA Tour and European Tour earnings include winnings from majors and WGC events. However, those events are only counted once in each golfer's total earnings.

30. K.J. Choi — $34.4 million (€30.3 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: South Korea

PGA Tour earnings:  $32.7 million

European Tour earnings:  €5.6 million

Major championships: 0

Overall wins: 9

29. Brandt Snedeker — $39.8 million (€32.7 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: United States

PGA Tour earnings:  $39.3 million

European Tour earnings:  €5.0 million

Overall wins: 10

28. Stewart Cink — $39.9 million (€33.5 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $39.8 million

European Tour earnings:  €9.1 million

Major championships: 1 (2009 Open Championship)

Overall wins: 8

27. Charles Howell III — $40.8 million (€34 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $40.7 million

European Tour earnings:  €2.7 million

Overall wins: 3

25. Rickie Fowler — $41.8 million (€34.7 million)

top pga tour earners all time

European Tour earnings:  €10.2 million

Overall wins: 7

24. David Toms — $42.0 million (€37.2 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $41.9 million

European Tour earnings:  €8.0 million

Major championships: 1 (2001 PGA Championship)

Overall wins: 15

26. Jordan Spieth — $44.7 million (€34.3 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $44.3 million

European Tour earnings:  €11.1 million

Major championships: 3 (2015 Masters, 2015 U.S. Open, 2017 Open Championship)

Overall wins: 14

23. Paul Casey — $47.3 million (€37.8 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: England

PGA Tour earnings:  $33.3 million

European Tour earnings:  €21.0 million

Overall wins: 16

22. Padraig Harrington — $45.1 million (€38.2 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: Ireland

PGA Tour earnings:  $25 million

European Tour earnings:  €26.1 million

Major championships: 3 (2007 and 2008 Open Championship, 2008 PGA Championship)

Overall wins: 21

21. Ian Poulter — $45.9 million (€38.5 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $26.6 million

European Tour earnings:  €26.2 million

20. Steve Stricker — $44.8 million (€39.1 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $44.8 million

European Tour earnings:  €8.1 million

Overall wins: 13

19. Retief Goosen — $44.7 million (€39.7 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: South Africa

PGA Tour earnings:  $31.3 million

European Tour earnings:  €22.1 million

Major championships: 2 (2001 and 2004 U.S. Open)

18. Zach Johnson — $46.9 million (€39.8 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $46.9 million

European Tour earnings:  €9.5 million

Major championships: 2 (2007 Masters, 2015 Open Championship)

Overall wins:  26

17. Davis Love III — $44.9 million (€39.9 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $44.9 million

European Tour earnings:  €6.8 million

Major championships: 1 (1997 PGA Championship)

Overall wins: 22

16. Bubba Watson — $48.2 million (€40.1 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $46.5 million

European Tour earnings:  €12.4 million

Major championships: 2 (2012 and 2014 Masters)

15. Jason Day — $48.8 million (€40.1 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: Australia

PGA Tour earnings:  $48.6 million

European Tour earnings:  €12.1 million

Major championships: 1 (2015 PGA Championship)

Overall wins: 17

13. Luke Donald — $49.5 million (€43.7 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $36.4 million

European Tour earnings:  €18.3 million

Overall wins: 12

14. Lee Westwood — $51.9 million (€44.1 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $23 million

European Tour earnings:  €38 million

Overall wins:  44

12. Matt Kuchar — $53.8 million (€43.8 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $52.6 million

European Tour earnings:  €10.6 million

11. Henrik Stenson — $53.9 million (€44.4 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: Sweden

PGA Tour earnings:  $30.4 million

European Tour earnings:  €31.6 million

Major championships: 1 (2016 Open Championship)

10. Adam Scott — $63.2 million (€51.3 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $56.1 million

European Tour earnings:  €20.3 million

Major championships:  1 (2013 Masters)

Overall wins:  31

6. Ernie Els — $66.8 million (€59.3 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $49.3 million

European Tour earnings:  €31.2 million

Major championships: 4 (1994 and 1997 U.S. Open, 2002 and 2012 Open Championship)

Overall wins: 47

8. Sergio Garcia — $68.7 million (€57.9 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: Spain

PGA Tour earnings:  $52.7 million

Major championships:  1 (2017 Masters)

Overall wins: 35

4. Jim Furyk — $71.4 million (€61.6 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $71.4 million

European Tour earnings:  €14.1 million

Major championships: 1 (2003 U.S. Open)

Overall wins: 18

5. Justin Rose — $71.7 million (€60.9 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $54.7 million

European Tour earnings:  €27.1 million

Major championships: 1 (2013 U.S. Open)

9. Dustin Johnson — $72.7 million (€55.7 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $71.2 million

European Tour earnings:  €18.8 million

Major championships:  2 (2016 U.S. Open, 2020 Masters)

Overall wins:  34

7. Rory McIlroy — $75.3 million (€63.3 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: Northern Ireland

PGA Tour earnings:  $54.9 million

European Tour earnings:  €36.9 million

Major championships: 4 (2011 U.S. Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship)

Overall wins:  32

3. Vijay Singh — $75.9 million (€67.4 million)

top pga tour earners all time

Nationality: Fiji

European Tour earnings:  €14.4 million

Major championships: 3 (1998 and 2004 PGA Championship, 2000 Masters)

Overall wins: 34

2. Phil Mickelson — $94.6 million (€84.6 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $92.3 million

European Tour earnings:  €27.7 million

Major championships: 5 (2004, 2006, and 2010 Masters, 2005 PGA Championship, 2013 Open Championship)

Overall wins: 54

1. Tiger Woods — $127.2 million (€108.7 million)

top pga tour earners all time

PGA Tour earnings:  $120.8 million

European Tour earnings:  €47.5 million

Major championships: 14 (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019 Masters, 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2007 PGA Championship, 2000, 2002, and 2008 U.S. Open, 2000, 2005, and 2006 Open Championship)

Overall wins: 121

  • Read more of our golf coverage:

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  • Main content

The rise of PGA Tour purses and the top earners on golf’s premier circuit

Published: 24 April 2024 Last updated: 29 April 2024

Who has earned the most on the PGA Tour?

Who has earned the most on the PGA Tour?

By the end of the 2023 season, Scottie Scheffler had become the first PGA Tour golfer to earn over $20m in a single year.

Jump To: PGA Tour All-Time | 2024 Season

Scheffler’s final total of $21,014,342 smashed the previous record by almost 50%, and he set that year before. This is despite winning half the number of tournaments and achieving half the number of second-place finishes he had in 2022. Given that he is already at over $18.5m for the season and we are only in April, you probably won’t get very good odds on him beating that again this year.

The meteoric rise in purses on the PGA Tour in recent years was necessary to combat the prize money offered on the LIV tour . There, each tournament winner gets $4m and even the last placed finisher earns $50,000, with no threat of cuts. Those figures are similar to the recently completed PGA signature event, The Genesis Invitational. However, 19 players in that event, including notable names such as Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Thomas, and Wyndham Clark, missed the cut and weren’t paid at all. That was a Signature Event in the tour’s reimagined calendar for 2024 .

Another week, another win, and another jacket for Scottie Scheffler.

In the recent Houston Open, a regular PGA Tour event, 109 players earned under $50,000 (including those cut). Only 35 earned more. It is also worth highlighting that the LIV Tour operates three-round tournaments instead of four, so those prize monies are achieved with 75% of the work of that on the PGA Tour. Scale the prize money, and only 27 players earn more than the guaranteed LIV payout. If you have to be in the top 19% of a PGA Tour field to earn more than just playing on LIV, no wonder players are making the jump.

Every week the sports sections were awash with names changing tours throughout 2021. The initial opinion was that the players going for a guaranteed payday were those who couldn’t hack it on the PGA Tour anymore. That was before the major winners. Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau , and Cameron Smith are just some who all made the jump. Phrases such as ‘Is this the end of the PGA Tour?’ were thrown around.

Some people hated The Hundred and said we didn’t need another short-form cricket format. The attendances speak for themselves. The Tour was worried and thankful for those names who chose to remain and Rory McIlroy became the poster boy. He was the most outspoken player against LIV, and Season 2 of Full Swing showed how hurt he was by the merger of the two tours. Whether his pursuit of some compensation for those who remained will come to fruition remains to be seen.

Winning prize money in PGA Tour Signature Events (2021 v 2024)

The PGA Tour had to do something to entice players to stay. Naturally, that was to appeal to them financially. A career at the top of the world’s game is not a long one, and with the prospect of a career-limiting injury only ever as far as the next swing away, it’s no surprise that players have the desire to make as much as possible as quickly as possible. After all, nobody knows what is around the corner.

The prize money on the PGA Tour has been marginally increasing over the years, but nothing like its rise since 2021. The Tour’s Signature Events more than doubled the winning prize money in the last three years. The PLAYERS is a perfect example, with the prize money increasing by less than $1m between 2004 and 2019 before shooting up to the current winning prize fund of $4.5m in 2023. Having won the last two PLAYERS Championships, Scottie Scheffler has earned $9m from that event alone.

Scottie Scheffler made history as the first golfer to successfully defend The Players and took home a huge winner's cheque in the process.

The Major story

It’s worth highlighting a similar story when it comes to the majors. After only edging up by around $500,000 over seven years, the pot has jumped by over $1m in the last four. The question is, do they have the same lure they once did? Sure, the number of major wins is the first talking point when looking at a player’s career and everyone wants a green jacket , but the money is not there. You can win more at Signature Events and almost as many FedExCup points too, just 50 less. The trouble is, those premier tournaments on tour are only open to fields of 70-80 players. They also have different entry criteria that take into account wins in previous seasons as well as current form.

If you include the majors and the heavily reduced fields in the FedEx Cup playoffs, there are 39 events this year. Take out the majors, The PLAYERS, the three FedEx Cup playoffs, and the eight signature events that aren’t open to everybody, leaving just 23 opportunities to earn money. You have to be in the top 65 (plus ties) after the first two rounds to earn a pay cheque. That’s not in a reduced field of 70-80 players; that’s in a field of up to 156. More than half the field goes home with nothing. They’ve still had to pay to travel to the course, stay nearby somewhere booked for the whole week in case they are playing at the weekend, pay their caddie, buy food, and perhaps have a hired car. The perils of all those expenses and not making the cut weigh heavily on many players’ minds.

Winning prize money in regular season PGA Tour events (2021 v 2024)

So what has happened in those 23 ‘regular’ events? The above chart shows you. Take the Farmers Insurance Open as an example. 2021’s winner Patrick Reed took home $1,350,000. The last-placed player to make the cut, Grayson Murray, went away with $14,025. This year Matthieu Pavon won $1,620,000 with his win. Brandt Snedeker won $16,920. It’s an increase, but nowhere near that seen for the ramped-up Signature Events and Majors.

Let’s delve into the financial aspect. Renting an Airbnb near Torrey Pines for example costs about $1250. A caddie’s wage is around $2000, and a hire car adds another $300. The tournament entry fee is approximately $750. That’s nearly $4500 before you even consider food, other necessities, and the potential fees to alter bookings if plans change. For a player who doesn’t consistently make the cut, these expenses can be a significant burden. Additionally, you need to fly yourself, your team, and your clubs to numerous locations during the year. If you only make one cut a month, you’re barely going to break even.

Scheffler and caddie Ted Scott have a special relationship.

Ultimately, has the PGA Tour significantly increased the purses of every event to ensure every golfer can make a comfortable living? The answer is no. However, it has amplified big tournament purses, seemingly prioritizing the satisfaction of those with a global presence who often make international headlines. This focus on the big tournaments, while understandable from a business and media perspective, does create a disparity in the distribution of resources.

But the facts are the facts. It is possible to win significantly more in one tournament today than some of the greatest the game has ever seen earned in their entire careers. With more tournaments and increased purses, we can expect to see new names reaching the top ten in the all-time money list in the years to come. This potential for change and growth in the sport is exciting, and we’re already seeing a real mix of the old and new among the top ten PGA Tour money leaders, with an unsurprising name at the top.

Tiger was first spotted in Sun Day Red golf shoes ahead of his Genesis Invitational return.

PGA Tour All-Time Money Leaders

10. Scottie Scheffler – $61,258,464

He started this season in the high 20s on the career money list but with more than $18.5m already this season Scottie Scheffler is now in the top 10. His performances have been insane. His to par score is -76 across those five tournaments and it doesn’t appear as though he is slowing down any time soon. Perhaps the rest of the field are hoping his upcoming lack of sleep will hinder his performances! Scheffler has always had a habit of hitting form at the right time, his maiden win was just two months before his first green jacket and he won twice more between the two. The question is how high up this list can he get by the end of the season? If he keeps going like this he could easily be in the top five.

9. Jordan Spieth – $62,173,104

Jordan Spieth was a young prodigy on the PGA Tour, bursting onto the scene in 2013. He won the John Deere Classic in his first year as a professional and had three runner-up places in that first year, taking home almost $4m. What followed was a further 10 PGA Tour wins before his 24th birthday. These included the 2015 Masters, US Open and TOUR Championship and 2017 Open. 2015 was a superb year for Spieth. He had four runner-up placings to accompany the five wins and earned over $12m for the year, followed by a $5.5m and $9.4m season.

Jordan Spieth is one of the most influential golfers in the world.

8. Justin Rose – $62,481,891

What do you best know Justin Rose for? His heroics in the blue of Team Europe, winning the Ryder Cup on four occasions? For becoming the first Olympic gold medalist in golf for 112 years? Justin Rose is a player who has quietly gone about his business over several years. The 2013 US Open Champion secured $1.44m for his one-over par, two-shot victory at Merion. That one and only major came in the middle of a period of great consistency for the Englishman, who won at least one tournament a year for six years between 2010 and 2015, earning just shy of $25m in that time. Follow that up with a win at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Championship and the Fort Worth Invitational in 2018, worth $1.6m and $1.2m respectively, and the career prize money steadily builds up.

7. Adam Scott – $64,290,490

Scott is number seven on the list and the only Australian to wear the coveted green jacket. His Masters win in 2013 came just a month before the announcement that anchored strokes would be banned. Sinking his birdie putt on the second playoff hole gave him prize money of just a few thousand short of $1.5m, and he would go on to win the same amount at The Barclays a few months later. In 2016, back-to-back wins at The Honda Classic and World Golf Championships, as well as the Cadillac Championships, would add another $1.7m to his account. Not one to grab the headlines on many occasions but always there, Scott finished in the top ten more than 25% of the time on average, and steadily built up a healthy career purse as a result.

6. Vijay Singh – $71,281,216

Vijay Singh is the first name on the list of the ‘older’ generation. We use that term loosely, but the Fijian is another who had many years of success on the PGA Tour. Most notably, Singh had a three-year spell between 2003 and 2005 in which he won 17 times and had 9 runner-up placings, taking home over $26m. His most successful year was in 2004, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Shell Houston Open, HP Classic of New Orleans, Buick Open, PGA Championship, Deutsche Bank Championship, Bell Canadian Open, 84 Lumber Classic and the Chrysler Championship. $1m was the prize for only one of those wins. That was the PGA Championship, making his career total all the more impressive compared to today’s totals.

Vijay Singh was the oldest golfer to reach World No.1.

5. Jim Furyk – $71,507,269

Jim Furyk won 17 times on the PGA Tour between his first event as a professional in 1993 and his last in April 2023. With a single major, Furyk is a name that might surprise you as being number five on this list, but his reasoning for being there can be summed up by a single word. Consistency. Remarkable consistency. Throughout his career, which spanned over 630 PGA Tour events, Furyk made over 80% of cuts and finished in the top three in more than 10%. Even so, he only made over $5m a season three times in his career. His most successful came in 2006 with wins at the Wachovia Championship and Canadian Open and second places at the Verizon Heritage, Buick Open and TOUR Championship, earning him $7.2m for the year. 

4. Dustin Johnson – $75,417,837

At four is Dustin Johnson. Like Furyk, his money has come from playing consistent golf for an extended period. Between 2008 and 2021, Johnson won at least one event on tour every year before moving across to LIV. His most recent victory, the 2020 Masters, came with a $2m prize. Johnson found great success in the late 2010s, missing only ten cuts in six seasons, and as a result, his earnings were over $5m for seven years in a row. Three of those years had prize pots in excess of $8m. His most successful year was 2016, winning the US Open, World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational and the BMW Championship, taking home more than $1.5m for each.

3. Rory McIlroy – $81,810,730

The 2022-23 season was the most successful for McIlroy on the PGA Tour in terms of money, earning just shy of $14m. He had two wins, one at the CJ Cup and one at the Scottish Open. He also bagged a couple of second places at the US Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, earning half of his year’s takings. A third place at the World Matchplay bagged another $1.5m. The wins have helped boost his earnings, but the increased prize funds the PGA have been forced to place on events after the emergence of LIV have also played a factor. McIlroy’s earnings have tripled in PGA events since LIV was founded.

2. Phil Mickelson – $96,644,310

It used to be Tiger v Phil on the course. Now it’s Rory v Phil off the course. During the late 1990s and early 2000s a generation of golfers now on the tour grew up watching Phil Mickelson battle with Tiger. Those same golfers then picked a side when Phil went to LIV and became its big name. Mickelson only competed in the majors last year, finishing in a tie for second at Augusta and taking home $1.5m in the process. Although Mickelson didn’t enjoy the long period of dominance that Tiger had, wins were consistent, and so to were the earnings. Over $5m was won by Mickelson in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013.

Phil Mickelson continues to be an influential figure in the world of golf.

1. Tiger Woods – $120,999,166

There would only ever be one name at the top of this list. Arguably the greatest of all time. With 82 wins on the PGA Tour, 31 runner-up placings and top-ten finishes in over half of the events entered, not to mention his 15 major titles; Tiger leads the all-time money rankings by over 20 million dollars. His last victory at the Zozo Championship came 23 years after his first, his three-shot victory earning $1.755m. The prize money increase is evident compared to his first tour victory at the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic, which earned him just $216,000. His first green jacket in 1997 came with a $486,000 cheque, less than a quarter of the one he won in 2019. Of course, his career earnings are much higher than this figure, which is just for what he earned on the course. A game of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, anyone? We also know you read that in Andrew Anthony’s voice.

A deeper dive into Tiger’s winnings

What makes Tiger’s significant lead at the top of the career money leaders so impressive is the period in which he accumulated a chunk of his wins. Victories in the mid-2000s earned him an average of $10m a year, but with 17 wins in 1999 and 2000, how much more would he have earned had those wins come with modern-day purses? If we examine the six tournaments Tiger won in 2000 that are still on the calendar and compare his winnings 24 years ago to what he would have won in 2023, the result is remarkable. In 2000, these six tournaments won $4,277,150 for Tiger. Those same six tournaments last year would have won him $20,900,000. An increase of 488%.

The money Tiger Woods would have won in 2023 from his wins in 2000

PGA Tour Season money leaders through RBC Heritage

This season, millions of dollars have already been handed out in prize money on the PGA Tour. Here are the top ten money leaders so far in the 2024 season.

10. Will Zalatoris – $3,543,130

It has been a rollercoaster of a year so far for Zalatoris. He’s been cut twice and has three top-five finishes in his eight events in 2024. Fortunately for him, those high finishes came in significant money events at The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Masters. A T2, T4 and T9 respectively bagged him $3.26m from those events, with just $300,000 coming from other events.

9. Brian Harman – $3,667,018

One of three players who finished a shot back from Scottie Scheffler on that epic Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, Brian Harman won almost $1.9m that week. That was his second top-ten of the year, the first coming at Kapalua where he finished in a tie for fifth. Harman’s progress up the money rankings has been hampered by several poorer results though, with three consecutive finishes outside the top 40.

8. Matthieu Pavon – $3,837,243

Matthieu Pavon turned professional in 2013 and secured his first win on the PGA Tour earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open. A birdie on the final hole for a 69 gave him a one-shot victory and $1.62m. In the week following, a third-place finish at Pebble Beach secured another $1.36m, and those two events alone account for three-quarters of his prize money to date this year.

Matthieu Pavon became the first Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour since 1907 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

7. Chris Kirk – $5,013,871

Beating Sahith Theegala to the top spot in the opening tournament of the year at Kapalua secured Chris Kirk $3.6m. That is the vast majority of his winnings this year. Since that tournament, he has only secured one top-twenty finish, with his purses ranging from $23,000 to $186,000 for his T26th at The PLAYERS.

6. Xander Schauffele – $5,528,071

Schauffele may feel he is always the bridesmaid and never the bride, but he has quietly secured good results. With four top-five finishes and two top-tens from eight events, Schauffele has been consistently taking home big purses. Of the 23 rounds played in 2024, Schauffele has only been over par for three of them, and two of those were just by a single stroke.

5. Hideki Matsuyama – $6,007,495

The $4m won by Matsuyama at The Genesis Invitational turned around a disappointing start to 2024 for the 2021 Masters Champion. In his first five events of the year, he averaged around $73,000 per event and just over 100 FedEx Cup points, but a 1st, T12th and T6th in his last three events have shot him up the money list and the points standings.

4. Ludvig Åberg – $6,511,053

Ludvig Åberg was quietly going about his business this year, finishing in the top ten at big-money events before his second place at Augusta. Earning almost $3m for his second place at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and eighth place at The PLAYERS, Åberg has made the cut in all nine tournaments he has participated in so far in 2024 and will be hoping to add to his lone win on tour at The RSM Classic last November.

3. Sahith Theegala – $6,565,228

Sahith Theegala is a player finding form. After coming second at The Sentry with a final round of 63 to finish one shot behind Chris Kirk, Theegala was cut in Hawaii and followed that with a T64th at The Farmers Open. Two top-ten finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The PLAYERS pocketed Theegala just shy of $1.5m in March, and a runner-up spot at the RBC Heritage earned another $2.18m.

2. Wyndham Clark – $9,111,009

Quite how Wyndham Clark’s putt on 18 at TPC Sawgrass didn’t drop, denying him a playoff with Scheffler, we’re still unsure. It was a reminder of the fine margins in sports though. The difference those few millimeters made is clear: sharing second spot meant his prize money was almost $1.9m compared to Scheffler’s $4.5m. That was the second week in a row Clark finished behind Scheffler, securing $2.2m for his second place at Bay Hill the week before. His lone win this year came at the shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a $3.6m prize. 

Wyndham Clark has won three times since May 2023, including the US Open.

1. Scottie Scheffler – $18,693,235

Win, win, tied second, win, win. Scottie has become just the third player in the last 30 years to win or be runner-up in five consecutive PGA Tour events. Keep going Scottie. Winning back-to-back tournaments at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The PLAYERS Championship gave him $8.5m in eight days, and then he came in a tie for second at the Houston Open. In March alone he won over $9m and then he won his second green jacket. Securing two other top-five finishes and two top-ten finishes so far this year, Scheffler has been consistently taking home prize money around the $500,000 mark when he doesn’t win. It’s no wonder he leads the season money list by over $9m. What is the limit for this man?

Honourable mentions

With today’s purses, it is possible to make a lot of money without ever being considered one of the ‘greats’. You can do it without even winning a PGA Tour event. 17 golfers have earned over $10m on the PGA Tour and have not won. While we aren’t going to go through them all here as it could be a whole other piece in itself, it is worth noting that all 17 have earned more than major winners, including Darren Clarke, Danny Willett, Ben Crenshaw, and Lee Trevino.

There are names on that list you probably won’t have heard of, but the number one you definitely will. That spot belongs to Tommy Fleetwood . Always with a huge grin on his face much akin to Daniel Ricciardo in Formula One, Fleetwood has played 131 events on tour and made 109 cuts in those, without ever winning a title. He’s come agonizingly close though. In last year’s RBC Canadian Open Nick Taylor’s 72ft holed eagle putt denied Fleetwood his maiden first win. He had missed putts to win both in the final round and the playoff before falling short on the fourth extra hole. However, he does have two Ryder Cups, and he’ll remember that moment in Italy forever.

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top pga tour earners all time

Highest paid golf players of all time: PGA Tour money list

Your complete round-up of the highest paid golf superstars in the history of the PGA Tour.

Highest paid golf players all time 2023

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The PGA Tour is home to many of the world's elite golfers and so pays elite sums to those who win its events. Hobbyists like us can barely imagine the magnitude of these prize pots, but still fork out small fortunes to get a sliver of the rush top pros feel when they hole a monster putt.

This list of the highest paid golfers from the PGA Tour is skewed heavily toward those who are still playing today, as the Tour has seen a rapid increase in prize money this century. That growth is only being accelerated by the presence of LIV Golf and their cavernous pockets.

Some exceptional talents miss out on this list due to number of events played – Justin Thomas is closing in on this list at speed – or from peaking when prize purses were significantly smaller.

Last year's Players Championship paid $4.5 million to its winner, Scottie Scheffler. The top prize at that event was just $1.89m as recently as 2017, which shows why ultra-experienced icons like Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els also miss out.

RadioTimes.com brings you a round-up of the highest-paid golf players of all time from the PGA Tour, up to and including the Mexico Open at Vidanta, not including earnings from the LIV Golf series.

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Updated: 25th February 2024

10. Jason Day – $58,832,125

The Australian has started the 2024 season in strong form and that has powered him into this list. Sitting around $3,000 ahead of 11th placed Matt Kuchar at time of writing, the 36-year-old has jumped onto this leaderboard thanks to a combination of career consistency and standout performances.

Last year's AT&T Byron Nelson champion is 339 events into his 16-year PGA career and has finished in the top 10 an incredible 94 times. More than half of those have been impressive – and lucrative – top five finishes, with Day coming out on top 13 times. It was always a case of when not if JD would break into this top ten, and he won't be slowing his progress anytime soon.

9. Jordan Spieth – $61,747,504

The real question here is just how high Spieth's talent can take him up this ranking. The short-game specialist has spent 12 years as a professional and could yet be less than halfway into his PGA Tour career. His exceptional ability, born with and crafted through work, has earned him 13 tour wins, plus plenty more strong finishes. They have built up this ridiculous earnings total – which doesn't even include any of the money he'll be earning from sponsorships, like his deal with Under Armour.

Spieth is just one PGA Championship away from the career grand slam, a tournament he finished second at in his banner 2015 season. That season saw him finish as the FedEx Cup winner, the PGA Player of the Year and the PGA Tour money list leader, after bagging more than $12m on course. He has the talent and work ethic to eclipse that season total and hit heady heights on this list.

8. Justin Rose – $62,399,291

The Englishman is the second highest European on this list – no guesses at who's above him – with a fortune built up over 400 Tour events in a 20-year PGA career.

The 43-year-old has come a long way since his fourth-place finish at the 1998 Open Championship, as an amateur no less, and has the career earnings to reflect his sustained success.

The 2013 US Open was just one of Rose's 11 wins on the Tour, while 29 further trips to the podium have helped the golfer born in Johannesburg comfortably into this top 10. Holding off Jordan Spieth's financial charge might not be possible, but there's no doubt that Rose's career has been a special and lucrative one.

7. Adam Scott – $63,913,326

Nope, tell your mates we're not on about the Severance and Parks and Recreation star, but an Aussie golfer of the highest order.

The Uniqlo-clad sportsman has been a constant toward the top end of PGA leaderboards for more than two decades, taking the top spot at 14 events, with the same amount of runner-up finishes.

The Adelaide-born star is still adding to his legacy and earnings, bagging a tied eighth spot at the WM Phoenix Open in November. The 2013 Masters winner isn't resting on any laurels despite being in the back nine of his career.

6. Vijay Singh – $71,236,216

The Big Fijian is a great example of just how much the money has grown in professional golf. Singh won an incredible 34 events on the PGA Tour, including three majors, but his highest single take-home was just $1.35m, for winning the 2008 WGC Bridgestone Invitational. If he was playing at his peak today, he'd be eyeing up the summit of this countdown.

The former top golfer in the world made almost as much history as he did cash on the tour. Singh was the first person of South Asian descent to win a major, while he bagged the PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2004 and was the leading PGA Tour money winner three times in the space of six years. It has truly been a career worthy of his Hall of Fame entry.

5. Jim Furyk – $71,507,269

The 53-year-old has been a professional for more than 30 years. It took him almost 20 to win his FedEx Cup, but still the former world number two achieved so much in his storied career. Most famously, Furyk carded the first round of 58 in PGA Tour history; a score only surpassed this year on the PGA Tour.

Furyk racked up his on-course riches through this combination of success and longevity. The Florida resident has been a part of an incredible amount of Tour events (636 to date), coming out on top at his fair share (17). His headline year was back in 2006, where he earned $7,213,316 on course.

4. Dustin Johnson – $75,417,837

Before DJ swapped over to LIV Golf in 2022, he made money hand over fist on the PGA Tour, dominating between 2016 and 2018. In the first of those seasons, the South Carolina native won the PGA money list, earning a whopping $9,365,185 on course.

The 39-year-old has bundled up his pile through 24 victories on the PGA Tour. He bagged a shred over $2m alone by winning his second of his two majors, the 2020 Masters. His reliable, strong showings led him to serious riches and to spend 64 weeks as the top golfer on the planet.

3. Rory McIlroy – $80,295,727

Rory has done so much in the game and has so much ahead of him. The 34-year-old has four majors to his name and will keep chasing down the only one missing from his career grand slam. We might not always see the best of the Northern Irish megastar, but his class, hard work and ability is evident every time he takes to the course.

McIlroy has 24 career wins to his name, plus ten runners-up berths. He’ll be adding to those in the rest of 2024 and beyond, inching him closer to the top two of this countdown. We've seen him play some outstanding golf in the past year, so don't be surprised to see the two-time PGA Tour leading money winner back with trophy in hand – and winnings in account – very soon.

2. Phil Mickelson – $96,572,310

The PGA Tour's oldest major champion banked an incredible amount of money before he hopped over to LIV Golf for a reported $200m. Mickelson is now thought to have earned more than $1 billion pre-tax earnings in his career – through both on and off-course activity – with the exceptional scope of his talent pocketing the lethal leftie almost nine figures alone.

Mickelson was never a PGA Tour season money winner, but 45 event victories and numerous top finishes have led him to a total only one man can top. The 53-year-old added healthy cheques to his account after winning six majors – three Masters, two PGA Championships and a single Open Championship – and would have earned significantly at the only major he never won. Mickelson finished second six times at the US Open, bagging him sizeable pay cheques in narrow defeat.

1. Tiger Woods – $120,954,766

Another golf list topped by Tiger Woods. It might be quicker to write about the records he doesn't hold.

Tiger's bank balance is the biggest because his career had everything. A record 82 PGA Tour wins point to an immense will to win, potentially never matched in the sport. That mentality combined with his out-of-this-world talent and desire to play the game for as long as possible has left Woods with an astronomical haul of career earnings.

The 48-year-old's biggest ever win was a whisker over $2m – less than half of what Scottie Scheffler banked for winning the Players Championship last year – but a total of five Masters, four PGA Championships, three US Opens and three The Opens were always going to contribute significantly to his standing on this list. He was the PGA Tour money winner a record 10 times; just another way that Tiger is golf's GOAT.

Who is the highest paid PGA Tour golfer of all time?

Earning big bucks in golf is reserved for the elite. Players who mix peaks of success on the course with longevity and consistency can take home incredible sums of money.

By epitomising these criteria, Tiger Woods earned himself an on-course fortune, which he only expanded off it. His biggest money season – his seven PGA wins in 2007 – bagged him almost $11m, a figure that now-LIV star Jon Rahm surpassed on the PGA Tour last season.

With the money in the game growing season on season, this list is sure to change at speed. Even still, Tiger will take some catching.

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The top money winners in PGA Tour history

No one has made more money playing golf than these guys!

VIJAY SINGH top money winners in pga tour history

  • Clint Davis
  • March 24, 2021

For millions of people around the world, golf is a beloved pastime that often means relaxing hours spent outdoors with friends or family. For the players who compete on the PGA Tour, the game takes on a whole other level of intensity.

Like most pro athletes, the elite golfers on the PGA Tour make generous salaries but, unlike players in team sports , the size of their paychecks is almost entirely decided by how well they play in any given week. Have a bad tournament and you’ll end up at the bottom of the leaderboard, going home with a fraction of what the winner earns.

While thousands of players have competed on the PGA Tour since its founding in 1929, these are the top money winners in PGA Tour history as of March 2021.

30. Justin Leonard

Career Earnings : $33.8 million

Of Justin Leonard’s 12 career PGA Tour victories, the 1997 British Open was the most memorable. It may have been his only major championship but he’s still managed to make a killing on the tour since debuting in 1994. The native Texan has posted 99 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events, including 11 in majors. Leonard’s best single year for winnings on tour came in 2008, when he made the cut in 24 of 25 events played and collected more than $3.9 million.

Justin Leonard

29. Patrick Reed

Career Earnings : $33.9 million

In just his first decade on tour, Patrick Reed has already placed himself among the top earners in PGA history. He’s won at least one event in all but one season since 2013, including the 2018 Masters, which is his only win at a major so far. From 2014-2020, Reed made at least $3 million every year from PGA Tour events, with his most lucrative season yet coming in 2016, when he raked in more than $5.6 million. He had a career-best 11 top-10 finishes that year.

Patrick Reed

28. Brooks Koepka

Career Earnings : $34.2 million

A beast under the brightest lights, half of Brooks Koepka’s career wins on the PGA Tour so far have come in major tournaments. Since turning pro in 2012, the Florida native has won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship twice each, putting him in elite company at both of those prestigious events. He was named PGA Tour player of the year in 2018, when he won both of those events and earned more than $7 million .

Brooks Koepka

27. Kevin Na

Career Earnings : $34.8 million

The 2021 season marks 20 years since Kevin Na made his debut on the PGA Tour and he’s averaged about $1.7 million in winnings per year in that span. Not bad for a guy who didn’t win his first PGA Tour event until 2011 and waited until 2018 to win his second. Despite the relative lack of tournament titles, Na has been a regular near the top of leaderboards since the mid-2000s and has only had two seasons since 2004 where he failed to make a single top 10. So far, Na’s richest season came in 2018, when he earned more than $3.5 million from PGA Tour events.

Kevin Na

26. Rory Sabbatini

Career Earnings : $35 million

Another veteran of the tour, Rory Sabbatini has actually earned more money from PGA events than fellow South African legend Gary Player ever did — even if his win total pales in comparison. Sabbatini won his first of six career PGA Tour events in 2000, in only his second year as a pro. Sabbatini’s career-defining season came in 2007, when he had 10 finishes in the top 10, including a runner-up finish at the Masters, and made a personal-best $4.5 million. Despite more than $35 million in career winnings, a major title has eluded him so far.

Rory Sabbatini

25. Luke Donald

Career Earnings : $36.4 million

Former world No. 1 golfer Luke Donald is one of the most successful English players in PGA Tour history. He was atop the golf world in 2011, when he won two PGA Tour events and topped the money list by raking in more than $6.6 million on the course. That was by far his best single season — nearly doubling the earnings he made in his second-best season — but Donald has been a steady earner in America since 2002, when he won his first event on the tour. Like some others on this list, the Brit has yet to win a major but that hasn’t kept him from climbing the all-time money list.

Luke Donald

24. Brandt Snedeker

Career Earnings : $39 million

Nashville’s Brandt Snedeker didn’t win his first PGA Tour event until 2007, but he’s earned nine victories since then and vaulted his way onto this list of elite players. From 2011-2016, he was about as lucrative as any player in the world, commanding at least $3 million per year in all but one season during that span and winning seven tournaments. The former PGA Tour rookie of the year is yet another star golfer who has yet to win a major, although you’d never know it if you looked at his bank account.

Brandt Snedeker

23. Rickie Fowler

Career Earnings : $39.2 million

Known as much for his eye-catching outfits on the course as for his consistent play, Rickie Fowler has earned more than enough on the PGA Tour to fill his colorful closet. The California native has been a regular near the top of leaderboards since 2009, which was his second year on tour. Fowler has won five PGA Tour events, none of which were majors, but he’s finished inside the top three at all four major championships. From 2014-2019, Fowler was stacking up the winnings, collecting more than $27 million in that span alone.

Rickie Fowler orange

22. Stewart Cink

Career Earnings : $39.8 million

With his victory at the 2021 Safeway Open , veteran golfer Stewart Cink made it a remarkable 24 years between his first PGA Tour win and his most recent. In that long span, he’s played in more than 600 events and made the cut at more than 460 of them. Among his seven career PGA Tour victories is the 2009 British Open, which he took in an intense four-hole playoff against the legendary Tom Watson. Cink’s best season for winnings came in 2004 when he won two events and took home more than $4.4 million while battling some of the game’s all-time greats atop the money board .

Stewart Cink

21. Charles Howell III

Career Earnings : $40.7 million

Since joining the tour in 2001, Georgia’s Charles Howell III has made the cut in more than 77% of the nearly 600 events in which he’s played. That consistency, which has led him to nearly 100 top-10 finishes so far, has padded his bank account nicely. Howell has only won three PGA Tour events in that span and hasn’t been all that good at the majors, with his best finish being in 10th place at the 2003 PGA Championship. Still, since 2001, he’s never earned less than $1 million in a single season and had his most lucrative year in 2019, when he took home more than $3 million.

Charles Howell III family

20. David Toms

Career Earnings : $41.9 million

David Toms has since moved on to the PGA’s senior tour but when he was competing at the most elite level, he was one of the most reliable winners in the game. From 1997-2011, Toms won 13 PGA Tour events , including his lone major at the 2001 PGA Championship. Despite winning a career-high three events that season, it was only his third-most lucrative year and one of six where he collected at least $3 million on the course.

David Toms

19. Webb Simpson

Career Earnings : $41.96 million

While 2020 was awful for many of us, Webb Simpson was playing some of the best golf of his long career on the PGA Tour. It was the third season in which he’s earned more than $5 million of winnings since turning pro in 2008 and he was awarded the prestigious Vardon Trophy for having the best scoring average on tour all season. Simpson’s only major championship to date may have come at the 2012 U.S. Open but his single best season so far came in 2011, when he won the first two of his seven career titles and collected more than $6.3 million.

Webb Simpson US Open

18. Jordan Spieth

Career Earnings : $42.7 million

Few golfers in modern history have had as meteoric a rise in the sport as Jordan Spieth . Since turning pro in 2013, the Texan has won 11 PGA Tour events, including three of the four major championships. Spieth’s 2015 season was the stuff of legend, when he won five events, including the Masters and U.S. Open and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship, and collected an astounding $12 million in winnings. That’s the most money any PGA Tour golfer has ever won in a single season and went a long way to rocketing the young star up this list so early in his career.

Jordan Spieth trophies

17. Justin Thomas

Career Earnings : $42.9 million

Similar to Jordan Spieth, Kentucky-born Justin Thomas hasn’t taken long to cement himself among the richest players in golf history. Thomas didn’t get his first win until 2016 but he’s racked up 14 of them since then, including the 2017 PGA Championship. In the 2017 and 2018 seasons alone , he won nearly $19 million, topping the money list both years and earning eight titles. It seems likely that Thomas will keep climbing this list for a long time to come.

Justin Thomas

16. Steve Stricker

Career Earnings : $44.8 million

Steve Stricker joined the PGA Tour in 1990 and he continues to collect winnings on it to this day, posting his latest top-10 finish at the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open . While he hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since 2012, Stricker was as consistent as any golfer during his lucrative stretch from 2006-2013. He made more than $31 million in winnings during those years alone and earned nine of his 12 career wins. Stricker finished second only to Tiger Woods on the money list in 2009  when he collected a career-best $6.3 million.

Steve Stricker

15. Davis Love III

Career Earnings : $44.9 million

Only four men in PGA Tour history have posted more top-10 finishes than Hall-of-Fame golfer Davis Love III . The North Carolina native has played in at least one PGA Tour event in every season since 1985, winning his most recent tournament in 2015. That season marked the 19th in which Love had earned at least $1 million in winnings. His best golf was played during the late 1990s, when he won 12 of his 21 career events, including his lone major at the 1997 PGA Championship, although his most lucrative period coming from 1999-2006, when he made more than $24 million.

Davis Love III

14. Bubba Watson

Career Earnings : $46.4 million

Since becoming a full-time PGA Tour golfer in 2006, the big-hitting Bubba Watson has yet to have a season where he earned less than $1 million in winnings. The two-time Masters champion has earned at least $3 million in seven different seasons and has topped the $5 million plateau three times. During the 2010s, the Floridian was a constant figure near the top of leaderboards, winning 12 PGA Tour events and posting 52 top-10 finishes.

Bubba Watson

13. Zach Johnson

Career Earnings : $46.9 million

Like his contemporary, Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson is a two-time major winner who ranks among the game’s all-time earners because of his consistent play. Johnson has won 12 PGA Tour events so far, with 11 of them coming from 2007-2015, and is one of only six players in history to win at both Augusta and St. Andrews , arguably the sport’s two most beloved courses. He’s had four seasons in which he earned at least $4 million in winnings but one of Johnson’s best moments came in 2020 when he earned the PGA Tour’s prestigious Payne Stewart Award for sportsmanship and character.

Zach Johnson

12. Jason Day

Career Earnings : $48.6 million

Australia has a proud tradition of golfers and Jason Day is one of the best to ever come from that continent. He won his first of 12 career PGA Tour events in 2010, but Day became a star in the sport in 2011 when he posted runner-up finishes at the Masters and U.S. Open. The Aussie was on an incredible run from 2015-2016, winning eight events in those two seasons, including the 2015 PGA Championship, and raking in more than $17.4 million in winnings.

Jason Day

11. Ernie Els

Career Earnings : $49.3 million

South African golf icon Ernie Els, aka “The Big Easy,” has posted 128 top-10 finishes at PGA Tour events in his long career, helping him place high on the all-time money list. Els is one of the all-time greats on the European Tour but his performance on the PGA Tour has been remarkable as well. Among his 19 career victories are four majors, with two each coming at the U.S. Open and British Open across three different decades. Among his list of career-defining accolades are the 1994 PGA Tour rookie of the year, the 2015 Payne Stewart Award and an induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Ernie Els

10. Matt Kuchar

Career Earnings : $51.6 million

Only 10 players in PGA Tour history have earned at least $50 million in winnings and Matt Kuchar is probably the least likely among them to make the claim. The 2010 Vardon Trophy winner counts nine victories among his accomplishments, a relatively low number compared to others this high on the list, none of which were at majors. Still, from 2008-2020, the Florida native was one of the tour’s most reliable earners and even topped the money list in 2010 , narrowly edging out all-time greats Ernie Els and Jim Furyk.

Matt Kuchar

9. Sergio Garcia

Career Earnings : $52.4 million

Since turning pro in 1999, Spain’s Sergio Garcia has been one of the PGA Tour’s most animated and consistent players. His 11 career victories on the tour span from 2001 to 2021 and include the 2017 Masters, which came after decades of painfully close finishes at major championships. But Garcia’s best year for on-course earnings on the PGA Tour came in 2014 when he collected $4.9 million despite not winning a single tournament.

Sergio Garcia

8. Justin Rose

Career Earning s: $54.7 million

British star Justin Rose has split his career between the PGA Tour and European Tour, which makes his high spot on the former’s all-time money list even more impressive. His 10 victories on the PGA Tour have all come since 2010 and include the 2013 U.S. Open, which is his lone major championship so far. From 2004-2019, Rose won at least $1 million in prize money every season, with his best year by far coming in 2018 , when he won two events, posted 11 top-10 finishes and earned more than $8.1 million on the course.

Justin Rose

7. Rory McIlroy

Career Earnings : $54.8 million

The pride of Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy has been one of the game’s top stars since 2010 and was the youngest player to make our list of the best golfers in PGA Tour history . He’s won a remarkable 18 PGA Tour events and has been among the steadiest big earners in golf history. From 2010-2020, McIlroy averaged $4.7 million in winnings per season, topping the money list in 2012 and 2014 . He won two of his four career majors in that latter season and the Masters is the only one that has eluded the future Hall of Famer to this point.

Rory McIlroy

6. Adam Scott

Career Earnings : $56.1 million

In 2013, Adam Scott made history by becoming the first Australian to win the Masters in one of the most intense finishes at Augusta in history. It’s been Scott’s only major championship so far but he’s posted top-five finishes at all three of the other events. Since debuting on the PGA Tour in 2000, he’s won 14 events and had another 13 second-place finishes. His most lucrative season so far came in 2016, when he won a career-best two events and collected $6.4 million in prize money.

Adam Scott 2013 Masters green jacket

5. Dustin Johnson

Career Earnings : $71.2 million

The chasm between the top five earners in PGA Tour history and the rest of the list is quite wide, as they’ve each earned at least $70 million from events. South Carolina’s Dustin Johnson is poised to climb into the top three on the all-time money list because of his remarkable level of play since becoming a full-time PGA Tour pro in 2008. He’s won at least one event every season since then and has won at least two tournaments in five different seasons. In total, Johnson has won 24 PGA Tour events, including two majors.

Dustin Johnson

4. Vijay Singh

Career Earnings : $71.23 million

When we ranked our picks for the best golfers in PGA Tour history , Vijay Singh was ranked as the best non-American player ever. The Fiji native was one of golf’s most recognizable stars during the 1990s and 2000s, winning 34 PGA Tour events during those two decades and raking in the winnings. The Hall of Famer and three-time major winner led the tour’s money list in 2003, 2004 and 2008, while his $10.9 million season in 2004 was the all-time single-season earnings mark for more than a decade. He’s been on the senior tour since 2013, where he’s continued to make bank.

VIJAY SINGH

3. Jim Furyk

Career Earnings : $71.4 million

There are only two players who’ve had more top-10 finishes at PGA Tour events than Jim Furyk — and they are the icons ahead of him on this list. The Pennsylvania native, known for his extremely unorthodox swing, has only won a single major and has never topped the money list but has nonetheless commanded a rich pile of winnings for his constant presence on the tour since 1994. Furyk’s best individual season for earnings came in 2006, when he pulled down $7.2 million, won two events and had four runner-up finishes.

top pga tour earners all time

2. Phil Mickelson

Career Earnings : $92.3 million

Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson won his first of 44 PGA Tour events as an amateur in 1991 and has been one of the sport’s steadiest earners for more than 20 years. From 1996-2020, Mickelson won at least $1 million in prize money every season but remarkably never topped the single-season money list. His incredible list of victories includes five majors, with only the U.S. Open eluding him in infamous fashion .

top pga tour earners all time

1. Tiger Woods

Career Earnings : $120.8 million

Who else could top the list of the PGA Tour’s biggest moneymakers? Tiger Woods is the only player to ever surpass $100 million in tour winnings and he’s earned more than three times that of other guys on the all-time earnings list. His 82 career PGA Tour wins are tied atop the all-time list and his 15 major victories are ranked second only to the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Woods topped the money list in 10 different seasons, topped the $5 million plateau 14 different times and earned more than $10 million in three different seasons.

All those figures are mind-blowing but what makes his stack of winnings even more impressive is that Woods has been notoriously selective with the tournaments at which he’s played and has had several seasons almost completely wiped out by injuries.

top pga tour earners all time

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The Surprising Names On The PGA Tour's All-Time Career Earner's List

Posted: May 1, 2024 | Last updated: May 1, 2024

<p>When you think of the players you’d expect to be on <a href="https://www.pgatour.com/stats/detail/014">the PGA Tour’s Career Money Earners</a>, there are a few no-brainers: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy.</p> <p>But as you get down the list, there are more than a few names that make you say, <i>“How did that guy make this much money?”</i></p> <p>Take a look at the list and be sure to comment which players surprised you.</p> <p><b>Note:</b> This list includes LIV Golfers who are still considered “earners” by the PGA Tour, which is different than the PGA Tour’s Career Money List, from which those who have gone to LIV were removed.</p>

The Surprising Names On The PGA Tour’s All-Time Career Earner’s List

When you think of the players you’d expect to be on the PGA Tour’s Career Money Earners , there are a few no-brainers: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy.

But as you get down the list, there are more than a few names that make you say, “How did that guy make this much money?”

Take a look at the list and be sure to comment which players surprised you.

Note: This list includes LIV Golfers who are still considered “earners” by the PGA Tour, which is different than the PGA Tour’s Career Money List, from which those who have gone to LIV were removed.

<p>Tiger Woods, widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, has amassed an astonishing $120,851,706 in career earnings on the PGA Tour, solidifying his position as the top earner in the history of professional golf. His dominance on the course, coupled with his global popularity and marketability, has allowed him to accumulate wealth through tournament winnings and lucrative endorsement deals. </p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

1. Tiger Woods – $120,999,166

Tiger Woods, widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, has amassed an astonishing $120,851,706 in career earnings on the PGA Tour, solidifying his position as the top earner in the history of professional golf. His dominance on the course, coupled with his global popularity and marketability, has allowed him to accumulate wealth through tournament winnings and lucrative endorsement deals.

Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.

<p>Phil Mickelson, affectionately known as “Lefty,” has firmly established himself as one of the most successful and beloved golfers in the history of the PGA Tour. With an impressive total of $96,644,310 in career earnings, Mickelson holds the second-highest position on the all-time money list, trailing only behind the legendary Tiger Woods.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

2. Phil Mickelson – $96,644,310

Phil Mickelson, affectionately known as “Lefty,” has firmly established himself as one of the most successful and beloved golfers in the history of the PGA Tour. With an impressive total of $96,644,310 in career earnings, Mickelson holds the second-highest position on the all-time money list, trailing only behind the legendary Tiger Woods.

<p>Rory McIlroy, a talented golfer from Northern Ireland, has risen to prominence on the PGA Tour, securing the third spot on the all-time career earnings list with an impressive total of $83,096,279. McIlroy’s meteoric rise to success at a young age, combined with his consistent performance and multiple major championship victories, has enabled him to amass significant wealth through tournament winnings and endorsement deals.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i> </p>

3. Rory McIlroy – $83,096,279

Rory McIlroy, a talented golfer from Northern Ireland, has risen to prominence on the PGA Tour, securing the third spot on the all-time career earnings list with an impressive total of $83,096,279. McIlroy’s meteoric rise to success at a young age, combined with his consistent performance and multiple major championship victories, has enabled him to amass significant wealth through tournament winnings and endorsement deals.

<p>Dustin Johnson, a formidable force on the PGA Tour, has amassed an impressive $75,417,837 in career earnings, solidifying his position as the fourth highest earner in the history of the PGA Tour, a testament to his consistently exceptional performances and unwavering dedication to the sport over the course of his illustrious career.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

4. Dustin Johnson – $75,417,837

Dustin Johnson, a formidable force on the PGA Tour, has amassed an impressive $75,417,837 in career earnings, solidifying his position as the fourth highest earner in the history of the PGA Tour, a testament to his consistently exceptional performances and unwavering dedication to the sport over the course of his illustrious career.

<p>Jim Furyk, a seasoned veteran of the PGA Tour, holds the fifth spot on the all-time career earnings list, having accumulated an impressive $71,507,269 throughout his successful and long-standing career, showcasing his consistency and skill on the golf course.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

5. Jim Furyk – $71,507,269

Jim Furyk, a seasoned veteran of the PGA Tour, holds the fifth spot on the all-time career earnings list, having accumulated an impressive $71,507,269 throughout his successful and long-standing career, showcasing his consistency and skill on the golf course.

<p>Vijay Singh, a dominant force in professional golf, sits at sixth place on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, amassing a staggering $71,281,216, a testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence and numerous victories across his illustrious career.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

6. Vijay Singh – $71,281,216

Vijay Singh, a dominant force in professional golf, sits at sixth place on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, amassing a staggering $71,281,216, a testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence and numerous victories across his illustrious career.

<p>Adam Scott, the talented Australian golfer, ranks seventh on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having earned an impressive $64,290,490, highlighting his consistent performance and ability to compete at the highest level throughout his professional journey.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

7. Adam Scott – $64,290,490

Adam Scott, the talented Australian golfer, ranks seventh on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having earned an impressive $64,290,490, highlighting his consistent performance and ability to compete at the highest level throughout his professional journey.

<p>Justin Rose, the English golfing sensation, occupies the eighth position on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a remarkable $62,481,391 in prize money, a reflection of his exceptional skills and numerous triumphs on the global stage.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

8. Justin Rose – $62,481,391

Justin Rose, the English golfing sensation, occupies the eighth position on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a remarkable $62,481,391 in prize money, a reflection of his exceptional skills and numerous triumphs on the global stage.

<p>Jordan Spieth watches his tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the Texas Open golf tournament, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in San Antonio. </p>

9. Jordan Spieth – $62,180,604

Jordan Spieth, a young prodigy who has taken the golfing world by storm, ranks ninth on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having already amassed an astonishing $62,180,604, a clear indication of his immense talent and potential for future success.

<p>Scottie Scheffler waves after winning the weather delayed RBC Heritage golf tournament, Monday, April 22, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. </p>

10. Scottie Scheffler – $61,258,464

Scottie Scheffler, a rising star in the world of professional golf, has quickly ascended to the tenth spot on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with an impressive $61,258,464 in prize money, showcasing his exceptional skills and promising future in the sport.

<p>Jason Day, the talented Australian golfer, holds the eleventh position on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having accumulated an impressive $59,384,085, a testament to his consistent performance and ability to excel under pressure.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

11. Jason Day – $59,384,085

Jason Day, the talented Australian golfer, holds the eleventh position on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having accumulated an impressive $59,384,085, a testament to his consistent performance and ability to excel under pressure.

<p>Matt Kuchar, a steady and reliable presence on the PGA Tour, ranks twelfth on the career earnings list, with a commendable $58,849,967 in prize money, reflecting his unwavering dedication and consistent success throughout his professional journey.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

12. Matt Kuchar – $58,849,967

Matt Kuchar, a steady and reliable presence on the PGA Tour, ranks twelfth on the career earnings list, with a commendable $58,849,967 in prize money, reflecting his unwavering dedication and consistent success throughout his professional journey.

<p>Justin Thomas, a young and dynamic force on the PGA Tour, occupies the thirteenth spot on the all-time career earnings list, having already earned an impressive $57,057,380, a clear indication of his exceptional talent and potential for future greatness.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

13. Justin Thomas – $57,057,380

Justin Thomas, a young and dynamic force on the PGA Tour, occupies the thirteenth spot on the all-time career earnings list, having already earned an impressive $57,057,380, a clear indication of his exceptional talent and potential for future greatness.

<p>Sergio Garcia, the passionate Spanish golfer, holds the fourteenth position on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a notable $54,576,690 in prize money, showcasing his skill, determination, and longevity in the sport.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

14. Sergio Garcia – $54,576,690

Sergio Garcia, the passionate Spanish golfer, holds the fourteenth position on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a notable $54,576,690 in prize money, showcasing his skill, determination, and longevity in the sport.

<p>Jon Rahm, a rising star from Spain, has quickly ascended to the fifteenth spot on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having already accumulated an impressive $51,603,851, a testament to his exceptional talent and bright future in professional golf.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

15. Jon Rahm – $51,603,851

Jon Rahm, a rising star from Spain, has quickly ascended to the fifteenth spot on the PGA Tour’s all-time career earnings list, having already accumulated an impressive $51,603,851, a testament to his exceptional talent and bright future in professional golf.

<p>Hideki Matsuyama, the trailblazing Japanese golfer, ranks sixteenth on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a commendable $50,171,691 in prize money, reflecting his consistent performance and ability to compete at the highest level.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

16. Hideki Matsuyama – $50,171,691

Hideki Matsuyama, the trailblazing Japanese golfer, ranks sixteenth on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a commendable $50,171,691 in prize money, reflecting his consistent performance and ability to compete at the highest level.

<p>Rickie Fowler, a fan favorite and stylish presence on the PGA Tour, occupies the seventeenth position on the all-time career earnings list, having earned an impressive $49,651,954, a testament to his skill and popularity among golf enthusiasts.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

17. Rickie Fowler – $49,651,954

Rickie Fowler, a fan favorite and stylish presence on the PGA Tour, occupies the seventeenth position on the all-time career earnings list, having earned an impressive $49,651,954, a testament to his skill and popularity among golf enthusiasts.

<p>Ernie Els, a legendary figure in professional golf, holds the eighteenth spot on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a remarkable $49,385,600 in prize money, reflecting his long-standing success and contributions to the sport.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

18. Ernie Els – $49,385,600

Ernie Els, a legendary figure in professional golf, holds the eighteenth spot on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a remarkable $49,385,600 in prize money, reflecting his long-standing success and contributions to the sport.

<p>Zach Johnson, a consistent and determined competitor on the PGA Tour, ranks nineteenth on the all-time career earnings list, having accumulated an impressive $48,765,051, a testament to his unwavering dedication and skill on the golf course.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>

19. Zach Johnson – $48,765,051

Zach Johnson, a consistent and determined competitor on the PGA Tour, ranks nineteenth on the all-time career earnings list, having accumulated an impressive $48,765,051, a testament to his unwavering dedication and skill on the golf course.

<p>Bubba Watson, the creative and unconventional left-handed golfer, rounds out the top twenty on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a notable $48,049,778 in prize money, showcasing his unique style and ability to excel in the sport.</p> <p><i>Are you suprised by how much money he’s won? Let us know in the comments.</i></p>  <p>The post <a href="https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/the-surprising-names-on-the-pga-tours-all-time-career-earners-list/">The Surprising Names On The PGA Tour's All-Time Career Earner's List</a> first appeared on <a href="https://clubhouse.swingu.com">SwingU Clubhouse</a>.</p>

20. Bubba Watson – $48,049,778

Bubba Watson, the creative and unconventional left-handed golfer, rounds out the top twenty on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, with a notable $48,049,778 in prize money, showcasing his unique style and ability to excel in the sport.

The post The Surprising Names On The PGA Tour's All-Time Career Earner's List first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse .

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Golf’s top earners made less money this past year (though they still made a lot)

Tiger Woods made $62.3 million this past year.

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Golf’s top-earning players lost a bit of money this past year. 

They probably won’t lose too much sleep over it.

Tiger Woods , Rory McIlroy , Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth made a combined $183 million this past year, down from the $215 million golf’s biggest earners made the previous year, according to Forbes Magazine’s list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, released Friday and can be found here . 

The overall top 100 saw a drop in earnings for the first time in four years, as the coronavirus pandemic has halted most every sport since about the middle of March. The overall top 100 made $3.6 billion from June 1, 2019 through June 1, 2020, down from the $4 billion they made the previous year. 

Woods, who has led the Forbes list a record 12 times, is the top-earning golfer, and No. 8 overall, with $62.3 million in earnings. He is followed by McIlroy, No. 14 overall with $52 million in earnings; Mickelson, No. 25 and $40.8 million; and Spieth; No. 52 and $27.6 million; while Roger Federer, with $106 million in earnings, leads the list for the first time. 

Forbes broke down the earnings by endorsements and salary. Woods made $60 million in endorsements and $2.3 million in salary; McIlroy made $30 million in endorsements and $22 million in salary; Mickelson made $40 million in endorsements and $800,000 in salary; and Spieth made $26 million in endorsements and $1.6 million in salary.  

top pga tour earners all time

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These are the top 20 in pga tour champions career prize money payouts, share this article.

top pga tour earners all time

In 1978, the first Legends of Golf was held at Onion Creek Country Club in Austin, Texas.

Two years later, the Senior PGA Tour had its first two official tournaments. Don January and Arnold Palmer won those first events.

From there, the circuit grew and in 1990, Lee Trevino became the first golfer to win $1 million in a season. In 2002, the tour was rebranded as the Champions Tour. In 2015, it took on its current name, the PGA Tour Champions.

Bernhard Langer became the winningest golfer in Champions history in 2023 when he got to No. 46, breaking a mark long held by Hale Irwin. Langer is also the top money-winner all-time on the tour.

He’s one of three players to reach the $20 million mark. Six players on this list have surpassed the $15 million mark. There are 31 at $10 million.

As you make your way through this list, keep in mind:

  • Gary Player is 90th all-time with $6,049,029
  • Jack Nicklaus ranks 147th with $3,372,207
  • Arnold Palmer is 211th with $1,765,795

There are 649 names listed in all, with Mike Balliet bringing up the rear with $736 in career tour earnings.

Check out this list of the all-time money winners on the PGA Tour Champions. Updated through the 2023 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Source: PGATour.com .

20 Colin Montgomerie – $12,414,158

2023 World Champions Cup

Team Europe’s Colin Montgomerie tees off at The Concession Golf Club. (Photo: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)

19 Jeff Sluman – $12,808,605

2024 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Jeff Sluman tees off the second hole during the first round of the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Golf Club. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

18 Fred Funk – $12,843,703

2024 Mitsubishi Electric Classic

Fred Funk plays his shot on the second hole on the first hole during the first round of the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf. (Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

17 Jerry Kelly – $12,850,136

2024 Galleri Classic

Jerry Kelly plays his shot from the sixth tee during the third round of the 2024 Galleri Classic at Mission Hills Country Club. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

16 Fred Couples - $13,280,234

2024 Galleri Classic

Fred Couples at the 2024 Galleri Classic pro-am in Rancho Mirage, California, at Mission Hills Country Club. (Photo: Andy Abeyta/Desert Sun)

15 Allen Doyle - $13,401,250

2008 Principal Charity Classic

Allen Doyle watches a tee shot during the first round of the 2008 Principal Charity Classic at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo: G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

14 Tom Lehman - $13,495,032

Tom Lehman

Tom Lehman and his son Thomas at the 2020 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. (Photo: Elise Tallent/PGA Tour Champions)

13 Loren Roberts - $13,642,664

2016 Chubb Classic

Loren Roberts hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the 2016 Chubb Classic. (Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

12 Tom Jenkins - $13,821,866

2012 Insperity Championship

Tom Jenkins at the 2012 Insperity Championship at The Woodlands Country Club. (Photo: Darren Carroll/Getty Images)

11 Jim Thorpe - $13,936,083

2013 SAS Championship

Jim Thorpe hits a shot during the first round of the 2013 SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club. (Photo: Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

10 Miguel Angel Jimenez - $14,265,321

Cologuard Classic 2022

Miguel Angel Jimenez poses with the conquistador helmet after winning the 2022 Cologuard Classic at Omni Tucson National. (Photo: Todd Kelly/Golfweek)

9 Larry Nelson - $14,637,172

2019 Mastercard Japan Championship

Larry Nelson hits a tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the 2019 Mastercard Japan Championship at Narita Golf Club. (Photo: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

8 Bruce Fleisher - $14,878,986

Bruce Fleisher

Bruce Fleisher hits his tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the 2018 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge. (Photo: Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

7 Dana Quigley - $14,898,463

2010 Ensure Classic

Dana Quigley hits a tee shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2010 Ensure Classic at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, North Carolina. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

6 Tom Watson - $15,074,227

2019 Senior Open

Tom Watson during the final round of the Senior Open played at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. (Photo: Phil Inglis/Getty Images)

5 Tom Kite - $16,303,747

Tom Kite

Tom Kite has 19 PGA Tour victories and 10 PGA Tour Champions wins. (Photo: USA TODAY)

4 Jay Haas - $19,922,514

Bridgestone Senior Players

Jay Haas watches his shot down the fairway on the 13th hole during second round of the Bridgestone Senior Players at Firestone Country Club. (Photo: Akron Beacon Journal)

3 Gil Morgan - $20,631,930

Gil Morgan

Gil Morgan tees off on the seventh hole during the first round of the Champions tour in 2012 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo: Getty Images)

2 Hale Irwin - $27,158,515

Hale Irwin

Hale Irwin hits his tee ball at No. 1 during the first round of the Father/Son Challenge at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 Bernhard Langer - $35,989,514

Charles Schwab Cup Championship 2021

The Charles Schwab trophy shows Bernhard Langer during an interview after the conclusion of the final round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship golf tournament at Phoenix Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

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top pga tour earners all time

Brandel Chamblee Says Rory McIlroy’s Team Title Should Count Less Than Individual Wins

Rory McIlroy's win with Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic was his 25th official title, as the Tour doesn't distinguish between formats in all-time win totals.

  • Author: Bob Harig

Rory McIlroy joined some fine company when he captured the Zurich Classic of New Orleans along with his partner, Shane Lowry, on Sunday.

The victory was the 25th of his PGA Tour career and tied him with Johnny Miller, Tommy Armour and Macdonald Smith for 23rd all-time on the PGA Tour victory list. He moved one win ahead of Gary Player and Dustin Johnson.

The only active player on the PGA Tour ahead of McIlroy is Tiger Woods with 82.

Shane Lowry hugs Rory McIlroy after winning the 2024 Zurich Classic.

Rory McIlroy now has 24 individual wins on the PGA Tour and one team win, with Shane Lowry at last week's Zurich Classic.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

But does the win deserve some sort of other designation or asterisk?

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said as much via a social media post.

And he took it further by saying that Woods should be the all-time victory leader with 82—and not tied with Sam Snead, who has five team victories that count as part of his total. Woods has none.

“Most golf fans, if not ALL golf fans assume 'individual’ wins when a player’s total tour wins are named … but Sam Snead has 5 teams counted against his 82 wins while Tiger has ZERO team wins in his 82 wins … so I ask you who has won the most tour events of all time??? It is Tiger,” Chamblee said.

Team wins should have their own category amongst “tour wins”… most golf fans, if not ALL golf fans assume “individual” wins when a player’s total tour wins are named… but Sam Snead has 5 team wins counted amongst his 82 wins while Tiger has ZERO team wins in his 82 wins… so I… https://t.co/TYC1ItRlwJ — Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 29, 2024

It is certainly an interesting discussion.

Woods joined Snead with 82 official victories when he captured the 2019 Zozo Championship.

Snead is credited with his 82nd victory at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Classic. His total was altered several times over the years as the Tour sought to find better records. His first victory came in 1936 and for a time he was credited with 84 before the PGA Tour twice changed it, first to 81 and then to 82.

Snead captured team victories with Vic Ghezzi in 1936, with Ralph Guldahl in 1939 and 1940 and with Jim Ferrier in 1950 and 1952.

Team events were a far more prominent part of the schedule in Snead’s time. Byron Nelson is credited with two team victories, including the first of his record 11 in a row in 1945, with Jug McSpaden.

Throughout Woods’s career, he has never played in an official team event on the PGA Tour.

Jack Nicklaus, who has 73 victories to rank third all time, has two wins that were with a partner—both with Arnold Palmer. The events were in 1970 and 1971, called the National Four-Ball Team Championship followed by the National Team Championship. (The event was played six times from 1965 through 1971 and Nicklaus and Palmer also won it when it was not official.)

Palmer’s 62 PGA Tour victories include his two wins with Nicklaus.

And to take this farther … Ben Hogan, who won 64 times, has eight team wins, six of them with Jimmy Demaret.

With his next victory, McIlroy will tie Henry Picard with 26.

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Bolton: Embrace weather variable for this week’s Lone Star shootout

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In a perfect world, we’d prefer to eliminate the unpredictability of the elements of an outdoor sport in favor of data sets that help us understand what our eyes are witnessing. But golf is an imperfect pursuit.

As detailed below, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson will be staged in conditions that, well, amount to the opposite of “golf in a dome” that often serves as the setting for The American Express in the Coachella Valley every winter. Sure, La Quinta, California, isn’t immune to rain and wind, but it’s typically a placebo compared to north Texas in springtime.

So it goes. Deal with it. Embrace the random.

While conditions should be OK most of the time north of Dallas, this still will be a week when it’ll feel like it’s going to be better to be lucky than good. That yields the chance to have some fun.

If your profile is to play it smart and safe, great. But if you’ve ever thought about being a little, say, counterintuitive, give that a go at TPC Craig Ranch. A shootout already is promised, so there’s that headwind for otherwise predictable results, but better-laid plans don’t necessarily apply when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Golfbet Insider Rob Bolton | THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

At the end of every round and eventually the tournament, there could be a little to learn about the experience, so even if it doesn’t go your way, that’s still something to take forward for the next time the roof is open.

Since Monday’s Power Rankings, in which I always review the weather for the first time every week, the risk of inclement weather for Thursday’s opening round has increased. It includes a very good chance for thunderstorms. Because of the danger, bet the over on a delay at some point. Friday’s forecast is more favorable.

When this happens, it can be shrewd to stack based on the draw in DFS. While blending in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf is advised for the long haul, short-range considerations all but demand betting on the coin flip. You’re already in shark-infested waters, so you might as well jump in with a plan to sink or swim. Treading is only for also-rans.

Another change in the last two days is when the wind will challenge most. Because it’s always the hardest to predict, there are two types of gamers – those who have complained about it and those who will – and you know who you are. Moving Day on Saturday now presents as the best of the bunch, albeit for seriously breezy conditions for Sunday’s finale.

All in all, when the conditions are a crapshoot for a shootout, conviction in decisions is the driving force. Ignore the nuance, dismiss the edge and go all-in on the most compelling combination of factors for your sensibilities.

Power Rankings wild card

Keith Mitchell (+375 = Top 10) … Cashmere Keith has been a top-20 machine in 2024 and he hasn’t gone consecutive starts without one in his last eight starts. Prior to a T28 with Joel Dahmen at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Mitchell placed T14 at the Valero Texas Open for his sixth top 20 of the season. He remains a rock star off the tee and on approach, so the challenge has been wringing consistency out of the putter. Both of his previous appearances at TPC Craig Ranch were when it played as a par 72 (2021 and 2022) and he averaged 69.25. To consider qualifying for next week’s Wells Fargo Championship, he’d need to podium this week, but this finish would be just fine for us.

Other notables

Aaron Rai (+160 = Top English) … Man, what to do with this guy. The Brit always presents so attractively but he isn’t plus value for a finish unless you shop in the market for top 20s at +225, and he’s had only two of those in a dozen starts this year. That’s why to beat five others among his countrymen is the smarter move. (At +350, Matt Wallace is second-shortest among the subset.) Sits 13th on TOUR in greens hit and T32 in proximity.

Daniel Berger (+130 = Top 40) … At some point, he’ll be reinserted into the option to make or miss the cut, but we can’t complain about the kickback for this finish. No, he hasn’t reconnected with the firepower that pushed him to the front of the stage, but if you’re going to hedge on when he’s going to deliver again, you might as well lean in when his only finish at TPC Craig Ranch is a T3 in 2021. The long game is back so you’re relying on this being the week when he (finally) finds magic with the putter. Two top 40s in nine starts this season.

Taiga Semikawa (+225 = Top 40) … With Peter Kuest hogging the headlines among non-members at TPC Craig Ranch, it’s easy to overlook the 23-year-old from Japan who’s making his fourth PGA TOUR start of the season. He’s making the trip from a T24 at the ISPS HANDA CHAMPIONSHIP but his youth is a weapon against jet lag. He’s already a four-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour where he placed second in the Order of Merit in 2023. We’re not asking for a victory (at +25000), just a return to some form that rewarded his muscle off the tee and precision on approach on his home circuit last year.

NOTE: Not everything needs a setup. For a variety of reasons, these lines are too enticing to ignore.

  • PARLAY: Thomas Detry, Keith Mitchell and Adam Schenk (+190 = All to Make the Cut)
  • Aaron Baddeley (+200 = Top 40)
  • Rafael Campos (+333 = Top 40)
  • Nico Echavarria (+300 = Top South American)
  • Nate Lashley (+125 = Top 40)
  • Henrik Norlander (+230 = Top 40)
  • Kevin Tway (+170 = Top 40)

Notable WDs

Patrick Rodgers … This is his second early withdrawal of the season (WM Phoenix) to go with his mid-tournament exit from the Valero Texas Open, but he’s 37th in the FedExCup with three top 10s among six top 25s. Look for him as well at Quail Hollow Club next week.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout … A T3 at the ISPS HANDA CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan on Sunday lifted the South African to 53rd in the Official World Golf Ranking, so he’s in terrific position to qualify for the U.S. Open when the top 60 gain entry at the conclusion of the PGA Championship for which he’ll qualify via the OWGR early next week. He also might sneak into the field at next week’s Wells Fargo Championship via the Aon Next 10, in which he’s currently ninth.

Charley Hoffman … Rests after a T4-T11 fortnight that lifted him to 59th in the FedExCup. Suffice it to say that the 47-year-old has capitalized on the opportunities yielded by long-range insurance of a career earnings exemption this season.

Membership notes

Erik Barnes … Will Zalatoris is a headliner among the comeback stories in 2024, but Barnes deserves similar attention. Now almost 13 full months post-reconstructive surgery on the MPFL in his left knee, he’s 87th in the FedExCup with a playoff loss at the Puerto Rico Open punctuating six paydays in nine starts. Has eight starts on a medical extension to collect 46.563 FedExCup points. (He’s closest to his goal among all golfers on medicals.) That would require no worse than a solo 19th-place finish (worth 47 points) at TPC Craig Ranch where he’s making his debut. Because he’s already cleared the threshold for conditional status, he’s eligible for the Playoffs even if he falls short of the target on the medical, but fulfilling the medical would promote him from the graduate reshuffle category to the Major Medical category. It also would grant him the opportunity to tee it up in every open without sweating the cutline for entry on conditional status.

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today.

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson

TPC Craig Ranch

Best In State

This interactive map showing where the PGA Tour's top earners hail from is pretty darn cool

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It doesn’t take a rocket scientist—or even Bryson DeChambeau—to figure out that golfers from California have earned more money on the PGA Tour than tour pros from any other state. After all, the tour’s top two earners—Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson—hail from the Golden State, emphasis on gold .

RELATED: This map of how much Tiger has earned in each state is crazy

But how do the rest of the states stack up? And did you ever wonder what colleges have produced the biggest earners on tour? Well, GolferLogic’s David McSweeney has the answers with his latest look into golf’s financial figures.

McSweeney has previously mapped out where all of Woods’ earnings have come, and he recently crunched the numbers to see how Ben Hogan’s career winnings would have equated to today’s standards. But now, his new interactive map tops all of that.

Click here to check it out because it’s really cool. But in the meantime, here are some of the key findings from analyzing the tour’s list of its 642 (the tour cuts off the list with No. 642 Vince Covello at $19,035) highest earners.

As mentioned, California is No. 1. And it’s not even close. You could take away Tiger and Phil’s combined $210 million and California would still rank first. With $733 million in total earnings through last month’s American Express, California is more than $300 million ahead of No. 2 Texas at $420 million. Florida is third at $344 million and North Carolina ($238M) and Georgia ($157M) round out the top five.

RELATED: These converted Masters earnings will make Jack do a double take

Mickelson also has a major hand in Arizona State leading the way among colleges. Former Sun Devils have earned a combined $255 million, edging out Oklahoma State at $233 million. The University of Texas, University of Georgia, UNLV and Georgia Tech are tightly bunched in spots 3-6.

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UNLV may seem like a surprise until you remember Adam Scott went there for a year. And they’ve also churned out several consistent earners in Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman and Chad Campbell, who have combined to make nearly $90 million.

It might also be a bit of a surprise to see Tiger’s alma mater, Stanford, only No. 8 on the list. But despite producing two players with a combined 23 major titles in Woods and Tom Watson, Watson’s career earnings of $11.1 million in another era pale in comparison to the money made by today’s players. Again, Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman, and Chad Campbell have made nearly $90 million despite never winning a major.

Anyway, even with Mickelson’s PGA Tour career seemingly winding down, Arizona State is in good shape to hold onto the top spot with the likes of Jon Rahm and Paul Casey. As for California? Good luck to any state ever catching up.

RELATED: You won’t believe how many non-winners have earned $10 million

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  3. Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

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  4. Who are the TOP 10 PGA Tour career earners of all time?

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