PGA Tour Money List Leaders Through The Years

Some legendary names have topped the PGA Tour money list through the years, but the achievement hasn’t always proved as lucrative as today

Scottie Scheffler takes a tee shot at the Tour Championship
Scottie Scheffler tops the most recent PGA Tour money list
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Following the emergence of LIV Golf in 2022, the prize money on the PGA Tour has risen dramatically in an effort to compete with its cash-rich rival, but a look back over the PGA Tour money list leaders through the years shows us that it is far from the norm.

Not even taking into account Scottie Scheffler’s $25m bonus prize for his 2024 FedEx Cup win at the Tour Championship, the American has far exceeded the previous record of money earned through the year, with winnings of $29,228,357. 

That surpassed the $21,014,342 he earned in 2023 (which, incidentally, also beat another of his records, the $14,046,910 he won in 2022).

However, the early days of the money list tell a different story. The first money list was drawn up for the 1934 season, and two-time PGA Champion Paul Runyan topped it with total PGA Tour earnings of an altogether more modest $6,767.

Of course, given that was 90 years ago, inflation rates over time have meant that the sum would be worth considerably more now. However, when adjusted for inflation, the figure still only amounts to around $158,842 - the kind of earnings one of today’s players could expect to bank from finishing around halfway down the leaderboard of a signature event.

No one even reached five figures in earnings on the PGA Tour over a single season until 1937. Back then, Harry Cooper was around as dominant as Scheffler has been in 2024, with seven wins, but he still only banked $14,138 for his efforts. That’s around $309,000 in today’s money - still nowhere near the generational wealth that the top players routinely earn over a season nowadays.

Legendary figures of the game followed in the years immediately afterwards, including seven-time Major winner Sam Snead, who topped the list in 1938 with earnings of $19,534, and Ben Hogan, who finished top five times between 1940 and 1948. In Hogan’s case, the most lucrative of those years came in 1946, when he won $42,556 (around $686,000 today).

It wasn’t until Arnold Palmer topped the money list for the fourth time in 1963 that the amount breached six figures. He earned $128,230 that year (around $1.3m nowadays).

Arnold Palmer takes a shot at the 1963 US Open

Arnold Palmer became the first player to earn over $100,000 in a season

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Following that, Jack Nicklaus finished top eight times over the next 12 years before Tom Watson led the way four years in a row between 1977 and 1980, but it wasn’t until eight years later that Curtis Strange finally became the first million-dollar earner in a single season on the PGA Tour.

In 1998, he won $1,147,644, which equates to around $3m today - not too far shy of the $3.6m typically handed to the winner of a single signature event nowadays.

Within a decade, the Tiger Woods era was up and running and, not surprisingly, his profile helped more money pour into the game. Equally unsurprising was the fact that he (along with another formidable talent of the era, Vijay Singh) was the main beneficiary.

Woods first topped the money list in 1997, when he earned $2,066,833 (about $4m today). A decade later, he managed it for the eighth time (out of a record 10), with earnings of $10,867,052, which would be around $16.5m nowadays. Singh, incidentally, beat that figure in 2004, earning $10,905,166 (worth over $18m today).

Tiger Woods at the 1997 Tour Championship

Tiger Woods has finished top of the money list 10 times, but he first achieved it in 1997

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Along with Woods and Singh, only Jordan Spieth in 2015 (who won $12,030,465 after a season featuring five victories, including two Majors) and Scheffler have earned topped the money list with earnings of $10m or above in a single season.

Below is the full list of PGA Tour money list leaders through the years.

PGA Tour Money List Leaders 1934-2024

Swipe to scroll horizontally
YearPlayerMoney
1934Paul Runyan $6,767
1935Johnny Revolta $9,543
1936Horton Smith$7,682
1937Harry Cooper$14,138
1938Sam Snead$19,534
1939Henry Picard$10,303
1940Ben Hogan$10,655
1941Ben Hogan$18,358
1942Ben Hogan $13,143
1944 Byron Nelson $37,967
1945 Byron Nelson $63,335
1946 Ben Hogan $42,556
1947 Jimmy Demaret $27,936
1948 Ben Hogan $32,112
1949 Sam Snead $31,593
1950 Sam Snead $35,758
1951 Lloyd Mangrum $26,088
1952 Julius Boros $37,032
1953 Lew Worsham $34,002
1954 Bob Toski $65,819
1955 Julius Boros $63,121
1956 Ted Kroll $72,835
1957 Dick Mayer $65,835
1958 Arnold Palmer $42,607
1959 Art Wall $53,167
1960 Arnold Palmer $75,263
1961 Gary Player $64,540
1962 Arnold Palmer $81,448
1963 Arnold Palmer $128,230
1964 Jack Nicklaus $113,284
1965 Jack Nicklaus $140,752
1966 Billy Casper $121,944
1967 Jack Nicklaus $188,998
1968 Billy Casper $205,168
1969 Frank Beard $164,707
1970 Lee Trevino $157,037
1971 Jack Nicklaus $244,490
1972 Jack Nicklaus $320,542
1973 Jack Nicklaus $308,362
1974 Johnny Miller $353,021
1975 Jack Nicklaus $298,149
1976 Jack Nicklaus $266,438
1977 Tom Watson $310,653
1978 Tom Watson $362,428
1979 Tom Watson $462,636
1980 Tom Watson $530,808
1981 Tom Kite $375,699
1982 Craig Stadler $446,462
1983 Hal Sutton $426,668
1984 Tom Watson $476,260
1985 Curtis Strange $542,321
1986 Greg Norman $653,296
1987 Curtis Strange $925,941
1988 Curtis Strange $1,147,644
1989 Tom Kite $1,395,278
1990 Greg Norman $1,165,477
1991 Corey Pavin $979,430
1992 Fred Couples $1,344,188
1993 Nick Price $1,478,557
1994 Nick Price $1,499,927
1995 Greg Norman $1,654,959
1996 Tom Lehman $1,780,159
1997 Tiger Woods $2,066,833
1998 David Duval $2,591,031
1999 Tiger Woods $6,616,585
2000 Tiger Woods $9,188,321
2001 Tiger Woods $5,687,777
2002 Tiger Woods $6,912,625
2003 Vijay Singh $7,573,907
2004 Vijay Singh $10,905,166
2005 Tiger Woods $10,628,024
2006 Tiger Woods $9,941,563
2007 Tiger Woods $10,867,052
2008 Vijay Singh $6,601,094
2009 Tiger Woods $10,508,163
2010 Matt Kuchar $4,910,477
2011 Luke Donald $6,683,214
2012 Rory McIlroy $8,047,952
2013 Tiger Woods $8,553,439
2014 Rory McIlroy $8,280,096
2015 Jordan Spieth $12,030,465
2016 Dustin Johnson $9,365,185
2017 Justin Thomas $9,921,560
2018 Justin Thomas $8,694,821
2019 Brooks Koepka $9,684,006
2020 Justin Thomas $7,344,040
2021 Jon Rahm $7,705,933
2022 Scottie Scheffler $14,046,910
2023 Scottie Scheffler $21,014,342
2024 Scottie Scheffler $29,228,357
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.