Money continues to rise in professional golf, especially in the men's game after the introduction of the Saudi Arabian PIF-backed LIV Golf in 2022.
It saw multiple star names leave the PGA Tour for big money contracts and forced the tour to find cash from its coffers to bump up purses and create the new Player Impact Program, which rewards players for their stardom via a number of categories, including their social media impressions and TV time.
It also saw the introduction of the Signature Events, which have $20m purses and winner's checks ranging from $3.6m to $4m. The Players Championship prize money was also bumped up to $25m, with the champion earning $4.5m.
Before LIV Golf, the most money won in a single season on the PGA Tour previously belonged to Jordan Spieth, who bagged over $12m in the 2014-15 season after winning both The Masters and US Open.
That usurped Vijay Singh's $10.9m earned in 2004 when he won nine titles including the PGA Championship.
Yet since the emergence of LIV Golf, the money has risen to heights that many might not have been able to predict, with Scottie Scheffler breaking the record in both 2023 and 2024.
An example of how PGA Tour prize money has rocketed is that Spieth's record of $12m stood for eight years and is now $17m short of Scottie Scheffler's 2024 earnings.
Jordan Spieth's $12m total in 2015 held the record for eight years as the most money won in a single PGA Tour season
Scheffler's $29m in 2024 is the new record after seven wins, with Xander Schauffele's total of $18.6m ranking third all-time.
In 2023, Scheffler won over $21m, with 2nd-place Jon Rahm ($16.5m) and 3rd-place Viktor Hovland ($14.1m) also breaking the previous record - which Scheffler set in 2022 with $14m.
That doesn't tell the full story, though, as Viktor Hovland won the $18m FedEx Cup bonus as well as $6m in the PIP and $1.4m in the Comcast Business Top 10 to earn somewhere around $39.5m for 2023 - which was surely a PGA Tour record for a single season.
Hovland won around $39m in earnings and bonuses in 2023
Yet that number has been left in the dust in 2024, with Scheffler earning $29m from his tournaments, $25m for winning the FedEx Cup and $8m for topping the Comcast Business Top 10. That puts him at $62m and it could well rise to $72m if/when he tops the Player Impact Program.
He is likely favorite for the #1 spot after seven wins and a trip to jail, and will surely win the PGA Tour Player of the Year award for the third consecutive year.
| Year | Player | Money |
|---|---|---|
| $29.23m | Scottie Scheffler | 2024 |
| $21.01m | Scottie Scheffler | 2022-23 |
| $18.36m | Xander Schauffele | 2024 |
| $16.52m | Jon Rahm | 2022-23 |
| $14.1m | Viktor Hovland | 2022-23 |
| $14.05m | Scottie Scheffler | 2021-22 |
| $13.92m | Rory McIlroy | 2022-23 |
| $12.03m | Jordan Spieth | 2014-15 |
| $11.24m | Hideki Matsuyama | 2024 |
| $10.91m | Vijay Singh | 2004 |
| $10.90m | Wyndham Clark | 2024 |
| $10.89m | Rory McIlroy | 2024 |
| $10.87m | Tiger Woods | 2007 |
| $10.76m | Max Homa | 2022-23 |
| $10.76m | Wyndham Clark | 2022-23 |
| $10.63m | Tiger Woods | 2005 |
| $10.56m | Tiger Woods | 2009 |
*Includes official tournament money only, not bonuses won like FedEx Cup and others
-
Michael Block Sets Early Pace In PGA Championship QualifierThe 2023 PGA Championship hero is off to a flying start in an event that offers places at this year’s edition of the Major
-
Hye-Jin Choi Facts: 10 Things To Know About The LPGA Tour ProHye-Jin Choi had a glittering amateur career, and she’s taken that into her professional journey, with a host of wins – here are 10 things to know about her
-
Who Is Kevin Velo's Caddie?Bart Barnes has caddied for Kevin Velo as he has built his professional career - here's what we know about him
-
Who Is Isaiah Salinda's Caddie?Isaiah Salinda is one of the game's rising stars, but who has he had on the bag for him?
-
Who Is Andrew Novak's Wife?Andrew Novak has been married to wife Maddie since 2020 - here's what we know about her
-
Who Is Jacob Bridgeman's Fiancée?Jacob Bridgeman is one of the rising stars of the PGA Tour, but who is his partner?
-
Who Is Luke Clanton's Caddie? Meet Jason WiertelLuke Clanton was one of the first graduates from the PGA Tour U Accelerated program and has been with his caddie since long before turning professional
-
Takumi Kanaya Facts: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Japanese GolferFind out more about Japanese professional golfer, Takumi Kanaya's life and career in the game so far via these facts...
-
Mac Meissner Facts: 16 Things You Didn't Know About The PGA Tour ProGet to know American professional golfer, Mac Meissner, with these facts about his life and career in the game so far...
-
Kristoffer Ventura Facts: 16 Things You Didn't Know About The Norwegian GolferDiscover more about professional golfer, Kristoffer Ventura via these facts about his life and career in the game so far...
