September 8, 2020
Here’s how much money a PGA pro makes by finishing last in every event, according to socialgolfer.com.
Professional golf is unique in many ways, but especially when it comes to finances. Players pay their own way, and unlike team sports like football, baseball, basketball and hockey, big money isn’t guaranteed once you make it to the Tour. Sure, just about every Tour player has multiple sponsorships, but on the course, players have to earn everything they make, and at regular-season PGA Tour events, that means they need to play well enough to make the cut before they’ll see a dime.
With the new PGA Tour season already upon us, it raises an interesting question: What would a fully exempt player have made during the 2019-20 season if he made the cut at every single regular-season Tour event (not including majors, WGCs, limited-field events or the FedEx Cup playoffs), but finished at the bottom of the leaderboard every single time?
The answer might surprise you. There were a total of 23 regular, full-field PGA Tour tournaments played during the 2019-2020 season (five were canceled due to the coronavirus shutdown, and others, like the Masters, were postponed into the 2020-21 season). For the purposes of this story, I’ll use the amounts from 2018-19 tournament season finishes to fill the canceled tournament voids.
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Also worth noting: PGA Tour tournament purses vary, generally ranging from the low $6-millions to the high $7-millions, depending on the event (the Bermuda Championship and Puerto Rico Open are exceptions here — they’re held opposite WGCs — with total purses of only $3 million).
Cutlines often include many players tied on the number, which is why last place varies widely, from 66th to T80. So, with all that in mind, here’s the breakdown for our hypothetical player:
A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier: $15,825 (67th)
Sanderson Farms Championship: $13,794 (68th)
Safeway Open: $15,825 (67th)
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: $13,510 (76th)
Houston Open: $14,175 (78th)
Bermuda Championship: $6,390 (66th)
Mayakoba Golf Classic: $5,490 (T80)
The RSM Classic: $12,474 (78th)
Sony Open in Hawaii: $13,398 (71st)
The American Express: $13,199 (74th)
Farmers Insurance Open: $14,025 (79th)
Waste Management Phoenix Open: $15,549 (66th)
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: $16,302 (68th)
Puerto Rico Open: $6,210 (69th)
The Honda Classic: $14,490 (69th)
Read more at socialgolfer.com.
