Earnings per Event - Top to bottom

[JonnyGolf]

Here's the list:

Tiger's at the top, of course. A stunning $967K/event.
Padaig's 2nd with $287K/event with 15 events
Vijay's 3rd, which is impressive because he played 23 events so far.
Kenny Perry is 5th - the highest $ with 26 events.
DJ Trahan is 24th on the money list, but it took 27 events - so 34th in E/E

And, at the bottom, for those with more than 10 events...
JL Lewis, avg $1688/event (ranked 258th)
Tommy Gainey, avg $1,589/event (ranked 258th)

I'm not sure JL or Tommy will have positive income this year even after sponsorships!

[Mikey]

Golf is the ultimate independent contractor sport. If you are good you make a lot of money if you are not you struggle.

Not like a lot of sports were you get paid off potential and what you did last year.

[st0wgolf08]

Golf is the ultimate independent contractor sport. If you are good you make a lot of money if you are not you struggle.

Not good? Currently JL lewis's scoring average is 73.78, he's made 7 million dollars on tour, but yet he's not good? You say your a 2.2 handicap or whatever, I guarentee you he could give you 5 strokes and still beat you. This guy shoots 74, on courses that are twice as hard as the average muni and in situations 150 times the pressure of playing with your buddies and shooting a 74-75 like what your handicap says or whatever. There is not a single player on tour that isn't "good."

I rest my case.

[Mikey]

Not good? Currently JL lewis's scoring average is 73.78, he's made 7 million dollars on tour, but yet he's not good? You say your a 2.2 handicap or whatever, I guarentee you he could give you 5 strokes and still beat you. This guy shoots 74, on courses that are twice as hard as the average muni and in situations 150 times the pressure of playing with your buddies and shooting a 74-75 like what your handicap says or whatever. There is not a single player on tour that isn't "good."

Ok, somebody has a complex, when I said not good I was not comparing them to me or anybody who is not on tour. I was comparing them to the top of the leaders on the PGA tour and also it is a year to year.

Somebody who is stinking it up this year could come back next year and be in the top 10. Have a beer and relax.

[Bogie Hokie]

Ok, somebody has a complex, when I said not good I was not comparing them to me or anybody who is not on tour. I was comparing them to the top of the leaders on the PGA tour and also it is a year to year.

It's the same when we complain how our favorite baseball players or quarterbacks suck. Sure they're much better than us, but in relative terms, they are awful.

[jeffhale08]

I think it was a Golf Digest article from earlier this year that pointed out if you had shot even par every round on the PGA Tour, you would finish 44th on the money list. Not bad huh? I don't remember the $ earnings or the nuimber of starts, but I'll look it up, I'm sure I have that old issue laying around somewhere. When it comes down to it, take a look at the stats. Bubba Watson blasts it past guys, but can't chip and putt worth a flip, so, he has yet to win. The old adage, "Drive for show, putt for dough" sounds pretty good. Anthony Kim is the highest ranked "Long Driver", he is currently ranked 6th in money, 9th in driving distance. Vijay, the "Cup" champion, 25th in distance. Noone in the top 10 of driving accuracy appears in the top 10 of money leaders. Singh proves that it gitting greens is pretty important, he is the only top 10 in GIR and money. Harrington makes a strong case for the putting aspect of the game, he is the only one in top 10 of putts per GIR and putts per round and also money list. But if you look at any of these stats, it is only fractions of percent seperating each player. Perry, Kim, Mickelson and Singh all top 10 in scoring and money. The lower you shoot, the more money you make. Seems like a long way for me to go to prove a point. Sorry for being long winded. No go shoot a great round.

[Chilli Dipper]

I think it was a Golf Digest article from earlier this year that pointed out if you had shot even par every round on the PGA Tour, you would finish 44th on the money list. Not bad huh?

Par would have won the British Open, been tied for third at the U.S. Open, solo fourth at the PGA Championship, and tied for eleventh at the Masters. That would have meant roughly $2.5 million in earnings by itself.

[zeg]

Par would have won the British Open, been tied for third at the U.S. Open, solo fourth at the PGA Championship, and tied for eleventh at the Masters. That would have meant roughly $2.5 million in earnings by itself.

When you put it that way, it doesn't sound so hard. Time to quit my day job....

[st0wgolf08]

But par at one of those courses is like a good 4 under at a local muni, maybe more.

[mikelz]

Johnny,
Thanks for bringing this up.
I think that ratio is the most accurate measure of a pro's season performance.

[toogood]

But par at one of those courses is like a good 4 under at a local muni, maybe more.

I'd say much lower. I've played with some very good scratch golfers, guys who've turned pro and tried to get their Tour Card, guys who at our course shoot 4-5 under. They go out and try to get their card and don't even come close.

Even the worst guy on the PGA Tour is extremely good. Think about it, even JL Lewis is still right about the 258th best player in the WORLD. Think about being in the top 250 in anything in the world. That's pretty good.

[JonnyGolf]

I'd say much lower. I've played with some very good scratch golfers, guys who've turned pro and tried to get their Tour Card, guys who at our course shoot 4-5 under. They go out and try to get their card and don't even come close.

I'd agree here. Best guy at my course has shot 61 with a bogey. Can't get past the 2nd round of tour qualifying, does pretty well on the mini-tours.

It was Chi Chi Rodriguez who said if you can't regularly shoot 63 at your home course, you're not ready for the tour.

[st0wgolf08]

I'd agree here. Best guy at my course has shot 61 with a bogey. Can't get past the 2nd round of tour qualifying, does pretty well on the mini-tours.

What do you guys think it takes to make the nationwide at your home course? High 60s?

[toogood]

What do you guys think it takes to make the nationwide at your home course? High 60s?

Not much difference from what it takes to play on the PGA Tour, there isn't a big difference between the players on the Nationwide and the PGA as far as skill. So I'd say still mid to low 60's to be really competitive.

[ganjagolfer]

i'm happy if i make 15 to 20 dollars per event

[RichF]

Here's the list:

So, it's not a 'list' at all, is it?

You've just picked 7 names....and is DJ Trahan at #24 something we should need to know about? How about the Top 10 or even 20?

[BASHERBAKER69]

Just an add on:

where does a pro need to finish on the money list if he to keep his card on the PGA tour? (Duval can do it!).

[Smallville]

Top 125 for full exemption; 126-150 for conditional status (which I believe means they are behind those players who earn their PGA Tour cards through the Qualifying School Tournament or the Nationwide Tour).

Seems to me like full exemption was only top 60 back in the '70s.

At pgatour.com, the money list shows Duval at 223rd on the money list with $83,727.
150th place has $438,022.
125th place has $700,933.

Has he ever used his one-time top 50 of all-time exemption? He is 33rd all time in earnings.