The game of golf often divides opinion. Those who enjoy golf think it is the best thing since sliced bread, but those who are not fans claim a round of golf is a waste of a good walk. Regardless of your thoughts about one of the world’s oldest sports, there is no denying the players who reach golf’s pinnacle are financially rewarded like few others, with combined earnings that could make your head spin.
You need over $18.7 million in career earnings to reach the top 100 of the PGA Tour’s all-time money list. That astronomical sum increases to $28.7 million to be in the top 50 and a staggering $59 million for a top ten berth. The top five PGA Tour money earners have combined winnings of over $415.3 million, with earnings ranging from $64.5 million to a whopping $121 million!
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Tiger Woods – $120,999,166
Tiger Woods was once the darling of PGA Championship betting sites due to his almost unnatural ability to win golf’s majors. Woods has 15 majors to his name, second only to the legendary Jack Nicklaus (18), ten more than any other active golfer. Woods captured his first major when he triumphed at the 1997 Masters Tournament and last came out on top at the 2019 Masters.
Woods topped the PGA Tour money list ten times, was the PGA Tour Player of the Year 11 times, and is an inductee of the Golf Hall of Fame. Throw into the mix Woods’ 82 PGA Tour victories and 41 wins on the European Tour, and you can easily see why Woods is considered one of the greatest golfers to have ever picked up clubs.
During his career, Woods has won $120,999,166 in prize money, the only player in history to surpass nine figures in earnings. Although Woods’ career is edging closer to a conclusion, it is highly improbable that anyone will ever catch him on the money leaderboard.
Rory McIlroy – $87,056,223
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was seen as the natural successor to Tiger Woods’ domination of the sport. McIlroy turned professional in 2007, aged 18, and wasted no time climbing up golf’s rankings. He was ranked in the top 50 in 2009, won his first PGA Tour title in 2010, and became the 2011 U.S. Open champion. McIlroy was 13-under-par at one stage, the first-ever player to achieve such a feat in the U.S. Open.
The Irishman won the PGA Championship in 2012 and again in 2014, the same year he became The Open Championship champion. Surprisingly, McIlroy has not won a major since 2014, yet has accumulated $87,056,223 in prize money due to his remarkable consistency in high-profile tournaments.
Jim Furyk – $71,507,269
Jim Furyk may only have one major title and 17 PGA Tour victories on his golfing resume, but he is third on golf’s all-time money list with a cool $71,507,269 in earnings. Furyk, known for his strange, unorthodox swing, won the U.S. Open in 2003, finishing eight-under-par, three shots ahead of Australia’s Stephen Leaney.
Furyk holds the PGA Tour record for the lowest score, finishing with a round of 58 in the final of the 2016 Travelers Championship. Before Furyk’s fantastic score, only six players, including Furyk, had shot rounds of 59 on the PGA Tour. Furyk finished joint fifth following his record-breaking round.
So how does a player with so few wins manage to win more than $71.5 million? Consistency is the answer. Between 1999 and 2016, Furyk was ranked in the top ten for over 440 weeks.
Vijay Singh – $71,281,216
Fiji’s Vijay Singh grew up playing several sports but ultimately settled on golf. It was one of Singh’s best decisions because he has won $71,281,216 from the game he loves. Singh turned professional in 1982, primarily playing the Asia Golf Circuit and then the European Tour. He earned his PGA Tour card in 1993 and won his first PGA major, the PGA Championship five years later.
Singh has 66 professional wins, including 34 on the PGA Tour and three majors. He won the 2000 Masters and became a two-time winner of the PGA Championship in 2004. Known as “The Big Fijian,” Singh was ranked number one in the world for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005 and topped the PGA Tour money charts in 2003, 2004, and 2008.
Now 61, Singh still competes, although his best golfing days are behind the Hall of Famer.
Adam Scott – $64,473,283
Australian Adam Scott proves you do not need to win dozens of majors to earn life-changing money on the golf course. Since turning professional in 2000, Scott has won $64,473,283 in prize money from 32 professional wins, including 14 on the PGA Tour and a single major, the 2013 Masters Tournament.
Scott’s record in golf’s four majors is outstanding. He has played in 92 events and made the cut in 69, including 17 consecutive cuts between 2011 and 2015. In addition to Scott’s maiden victory, he has two runner-up and three third-place finishes, nine top-five finishes, and 19 top-ten results. Although Scott would like more major titles on his resume, we are sure his bank manager is delighted with his overall performance on golf’s biggest stage.
Honourable Mentions
A handful of players are one major victory away from replacing Scott in the top five because they are within a couple of million dollars of the 43-year-old. Justin Rose occupies sixth place with $63,167,831 in prize money, with Jordan Speith closely behind with $62,360,073.
Scottie Scheffler, one of only six players to have shot a round of 59, has $61,779,882 in winnings, while Jason Day is ninth in the standings courtesy of $60,334,429 won. Imagine being talented enough to win such vast sums of money from playing rounds of golf and traveling the world!
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