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Everything about The Pga Tour totally explained

The PGA Tour is an organization that operates the USA's main professional golf tours. It is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S. Its name is officially rendered in all-capital letters as “PGA TOUR".
   The PGA Tour became a separate entity in 1968, branching off from the PGA of America, which is now primarily an association of club professionals. (Before 1968, the tour was known as the PGA of America's "Tournament Players Division.")
   Due to a multiplicity of similar names, it's worth emphasizing what the PGA Tour does and doesn't organize. The PGA Tour doesn't run any of the four major golf tournaments or the Ryder Cup. The PGA of America, not the PGA Tour, runs the PGA Championship, the Senior PGA Championship, and co-organizes the Ryder Cup with the PGA European Tour. The PGA Tour isn't involved with the women's tours in the U.S.; they're controlled by the LPGA. The PGA Tour is also not the governing body for the game of golf in the United States; this, instead, is the role of the USGA, which organizes the U.S. Open. What the PGA Tour does organize are the remaining week-to-week events, including The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup events, as well as the biennial Presidents Cup.
   In 1981, the PGA Tour had a marketing dispute with the PGA of America and decided to officially change its name. Beginning in late August 1981, it became the TPA Tour, for the "Tournament Players Association." The disputed issues were resolved within seven months and the tour's name was changed back to the "PGA Tour" in March 1982, before any majors (or The Players Championship) were played.

Tours operated by the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour operates three tours, which are played mostly in the U.S., with occasional events in Canada and Mexico, and one major championship in the U.K. in each of the first two listed. The PGA Tour also conducts an annual Qualifying Tournament (known colloquially as Q-School), a six-round tournament held each fall; the top 25 finishers, including ties, receive privileges to play on the following year's PGA Tour. Remaining finishers in the top 75, plus ties, receive full privileges on the Nationwide Tour.
   The top 25 money-winners on the Nationwide Tour also receive privileges on the following year's PGA Tour. A golfer who wins three events on that tour in a calendar year earns a "battlefield promotion" which garners PGA Tour privileges for the remainder of the year.
   At the end of each year, the top 125 money-winners on the PGA Tour receive a tour card for the following season, which gives them exemption from qualifying for most of the next year's tournaments. However at some events, known as invitationals, exemptions apply only to the previous year's top seventy players. Players who are ranked between 126-150 receive a conditional tour card, which gives them priority for places that are not taken up by players with full cards.
   Winning a PGA Tour event provides a tour card for a minimum of two years, with an extra year added for each additional win with a maximum of five years. Winning a World Golf Championships event or The Tour Championship provides a three-year exemption. Winners of the major championships and The Players Championship earn a five-year exemption. Other types of exemptions include lifetime exemptions for players with twenty wins on the tour; one-time, one year exemptions for players in the top fifty on the career money earnings list who are not otherwise exempt; two-time, one year exemptions for players in the top twenty-five on the career money list; and medical exemptions for players who have been injured, which give them an opportunity to regain their tour card after a period out of the tour.
   Similar to other major league sports, there's no rule limiting PGA Tour players to "men only." In 2003, Annika Sörenstam and Suzy Whaley played in PGA Tour events, and Michelle Wie has done so in each year from 2004 through 2007. None of these three made the cut, although Wie missed by only one stroke in 2004.
   The LPGA, like all other women's sports, is limited to female participants only.
   The PGA Tour places a strong emphasis on charity fundraising, usually on behalf of local charities in cities where events are staged. With the exception of a few older events, PGA Tour rules require all Tour events to be non-profit; the Tour itself is also a non-profit company. In 2005, it started a campaign to push its all-time fundraising tally past one billion dollars, and it reached that mark one week before the end of the season.
   On the controversial side, however, this PGA Tour "fundraising" claim is misleading because the TV promotional spots claim the Tour has "donated" over $1 billion to charity ("Drive to a Billion"). The reality is that the monies raised for charities derive from the tournament's positive revenues (if any), thanks mainly to hundreds of volunteers providing free labor -- and not any actual monetary donation from the PGA Tour, whose purse monies and expenses are guaranteed.
   There is also a PGA European Tour, which is separate from either the PGA Tour or the PGA of America; this organization runs a tour, mostly in Europe but with events throughout the world outside of North America, that's second only to the PGA Tour in worldwide prestige. There are several other regional tours around the world. However, the PGA Tour, European Tour, and many of the regional tours co-sponsor the World Golf Championships. These, along with the major championships, usually count toward the official money lists of each tour as well as the Official World Golf Ranking.

Television and radio coverage

In January 2006 the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012. CBS Sports will remain the main carrier of PGA Tour golf, and will increase its events from 16 to 19 per season. NBC Sports will increase its coverage from 5 to 10 events. The Golf Channel will be the Tour's cable partner on a 15 year contract, providing early round coverage of all official money events and four round coverage of a few events at the beginning and towards the end of the season. These deals don't cover the major championships as the PGA Tour doesn't own the rights to them. The fees involved were not mentioned in the press release, but it stated, "total prize money and other financial benefits to players will increase approximately $600 million over the term as compared to the previous six years, a 35-percent increase".
   The PGA Tour is also covered extensively outside the United States. In the United Kingdom Sky Sports was the main broadcaster of the tour for a number of years up to 2006. However Setanta Sports won exclusive UK and Ireland rights for six years from 2007 for a reported cost of £103 million. The deal includes Champions Tour and the Nationwide Tour events, but like the U.S. television deals it doesn't include the major championships, and unlike the U.S. deal, it doesn't include the World Golf Championships. Setanta has set up the Setanta Golf channel to present its coverage.
   In the United States and Canada, radio coverage of the PGA Tour is available on XM Satellite Radio, on the PGA Tour Network, channel 146.

The structure of the PGA Tour season

Outline of the season

The table below illustrates the structure of the PGA Tour season.
   Three of the four majors take place in eight weeks between June and August. In the past, this has threatened to make the last two and a half months of the season anti-climactic, as some of the very top players competed less from that point on. In response, the PGA Tour has introduced a new format, the FedEx Cup. From January through mid-August players compete in "regular season" events and earn FedEx Cup points, in addition to prize money. At the end of the regular season, the top 144 FedEx Cup points winners are eligible to compete in the "playoffs," four events taking place from mid-August to mid-September. The field sizes for these events are reduced from 144 to 120 to 70 and finally the traditional 30 for the Tour Championship. Additional FedEx Cup points are earned in these events. At the end of the championship, the top point winner is the season champion. To put this new system into place, the PGA Tour has made significant changes to the traditional schedule. In 2007 The Players Championship moved to May so as to have a marquee event in five consecutive months. The Tour Championship moved to mid-September, with an international team event (Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup) following at the end of September. In 2008, the schedule was tweaked slightly. After the third FedEx Cup playoff event, the BMW Championship, the Tour will take a full week off before the international team event, which in 2008 is the Ryder Cup. The Tour Championship will take place the week after the team event.
   The Tour will continue through the fall, with the focus on the scramble of the less successful players to earn enough money to retain their tour cards. A seven-tournament circuit known as the Fall Series was introduced in 2007. In its inaugural year, its events were held in seven consecutive weeks, starting the week after the Tour Championship. As was the case for the FedEx Cup playoff schedule, the 2008 Fall Series schedule was also tweaked. The first Fall Series event will be held opposite the Ryder Cup. Then, the Fall Series takes a week off for the Tour Championship before continuing with its remaining six events.
   2007 saw the introduction of a tournament in Mexico, an alternate event staged the same week as the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. A tournament in Puerto Rico will be introduced in 2008 as an alternate event staged opposite the WGC-CA Championship.

Tournaments

The 2008 regular season will feature 49 events in 45 weeks, of which 48 are official money events, including four alternate events played the same week as a higher status tournament. The 49th event is the Ryder Cup team event. Most members of the tour play between 20 and 30 tournaments in the season. The geography of the tour is determined by the weather. It starts in Hawaii in January and spends most of its first two months in California and Arizona during what is known as the "West Coast Swing," and then moves to the American Southeast for the "Southern Swing." Each swing culminates in a significant tour event. In April, tour events begin to drift north. The summer months are spent mainly in the Northeast and the Midwest, and in the fall (autumn) the tour heads south again.
   In most of the regular events on tour, the field is either 132, 144 or 156 players, depending on time of year (and available daylight hours). All players making the cut earn money for the tournament with the winner usually receiving 18% of the total purse.
   In 2008, the PGA Tour Policy Board approved a change in the number of players that will continue playing to the next rounds. The cut will continue to be low 70 professionals and ties, unless that results in a weekend field size of more than 78 players. Under that circumstance, the cut would be made to the number closest to 70. Players cut from playing the weekend in this instance with a placing of 70th or better will get credit for making the cut and will earn official money and FedEx Cup points. This policy affected two of the first three events with cuts, the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Buick Invitational. In late February, the Policy Board announced a revised cut policy, effective beginning with the Honda Classic. The new policy calls for 36-hole cut to the low 70 professionals and ties and, if that cut results in more than 78 players, a second 54-hole cut to the low 70 professionals and ties.

2008 schedule

The following table lists the main season events for 2008. The designations in the "Status" column are explained in the notes below the table. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they'd on the tour up to and including that event.
Week Tournament Location Status Winner OWGR pts
Jan 3-6 Mercedes-Benz Championship Hawaii Small field Daniel Chopra (2) 48
Jan 10-13 Sony Open in Hawaii Hawaii Regular K.J. Choi (7) 50
Jan 16-20 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic California Regular D. J. Trahan (2) 34
Jan 24-27 Buick Invitational California Regular Tiger Woods (62) 60
Jan 31-Feb 3 FBR Open Arizona Regular J. B. Holmes (2) 58
Feb 7-10 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am California Regular Steve Lowery (3) 40
Feb 14-17 Northern Trust Open California Regular Phil Mickelson (33) 68
Feb 20-24 Accenture Match Play Championship Arizona WGC Tiger Woods (63) 76
Feb 21-24 Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun Mexico Alternate Brian Gay (1) 24
Feb 28-Mar 2 The Honda Classic Florida Regular Ernie Els (16) 48
Mar 6-9 PODS Championship Florida Regular Sean O'Hair (2) 52
Mar 13-16 Arnold Palmer Invitational Florida Regular Tiger Woods (64) 62
Mar 20-23 CA Championship Florida WGC Geoff Ogilvy (4) 76
Mar 20-23 Puerto Rico Open Puerto Rico Alternate Greg Kraft (1) 24
Mar 27-30 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Louisiana Regular Andrés Romero (1) 46
Apr 3-6 Shell Houston Open Texas Regular Johnson Wagner (1) 52
Apr 10-13 Masters Tournament Georgia Major Trevor Immelman (2) 100
Apr 17-20 Verizon Heritage South Carolina Regular Boo Weekley (2) 54
Apr 24-27 EDS Byron Nelson Championship Texas Regular Adam Scott (6) 44
May 1-4 Wachovia Championship North Carolina Regular Anthony Kim (1) 66
May 8-11 The Players Championship Florida Unique Sergio García (7) 80
May 15-18 AT&T Classic Georgia Regular Ryuji Imada (1) 26
May 22-25 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Texas Regular Phil Mickelson (34) 54
May 29-Jun 1 Memorial Tournament Ohio Regular
Jun 5-8 Stanford St. Jude Championship Tennessee Regular
Jun 12-15 U.S. Open Championship California Major 100
Jun 19-22 Travelers Championship Connecticut Regular
Jun 26-29 Buick Open Michigan Regular
Jul 3-6 AT&T National Maryland Regular
Jul 10-13 John Deere Classic Illinois Regular
Jul 17-20 The Open Championship (British Open) Great Britain Major 100
Jul 17-20 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee Wisconsin Alternate
Jul 24-27 RBC Canadian Open Canada Regular
Jul 31-Aug 3 Bridgestone Invitational Ohio WGC
Jul 31-Aug 3 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open Nevada Alternate
Aug 7-10 PGA Championship Michigan Major 100
Aug 14-17 Wyndham Championship North Carolina Regular
Aug 21-24 The Barclays New Jersey Playoffs
Aug 29-Sep 1 Deutsche Bank Championship Massachusetts Playoffs
Sep 4-7 BMW Championship Missouri Playoffs
Sep 18-21 Ryder Cup Kentucky Team
Sep 18-21 Viking Classic Mississippi Fall Series
Sep 25-28 The Tour Championship Georgia Playoffs
Oct 2-5 Turning Stone Resort Championship New York Fall Series
Oct 9-12 Valero Texas Open Texas Fall Series
Oct 16-19 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Nevada Fall Series
Oct 23-26 Frys.com Open Arizona Fall Series
Oct 30-Nov 2 Ginn sur Mer Classic Florida Fall Series
Nov 6-9 Children's Miracle Network Classic Florida Fall Series

Event categories

  • Majors: The four leading annual events in world golf are the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, The (British) Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.
  • World Golf Championships (WGC): A set of events co-sanctioned by the International Federation of PGA Tours which attract the leading golfers from all over the world, including those who are not members of the PGA Tour.
  • Unique: The unique status of the The Players Championship is based on the fact that it's the only event apart from the majors and the World Golf Championships which attracts entries from almost all of the world's elite golfers. Official recognition is given to its unique position in the sport by the Official World Golf Rankings, which allocate it a fixed number of points (which is 20% less than for a major), whereas the number of points allocated to "regular" events is dependent on the rankings of the players who enter each year, and is only determined once the entry list is finalized. It is increasingly referred to by the media as the "Fifth major". In North America some people would like to make the tournament an official major and it'll be ranked equally with the majors in the FedEx Cup point system. However there's little support for this in the rest of the world, and any revision to the points system for the world rankings would require a global consensus.
  • Playoff event: The last four tournaments of the FedEx Cup will have fields based on the FedEx Cup rankings. The fields will be cut each week: Barclays Classic 144 players; Deutsche Bank Championship 120 players; BMW Championship 70 players; The Tour Championship 30 players.
  • Team: A United States team of 12 elite players competes in the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup in alternate years. The Ryder Cup, pitting a team of U.S. golfers against a European team, is arguably the highest profile event in golf, outranking the majors. The Presidents Cup, which matches a team of U.S. golfers against an international team of golfers not eligible for the Ryder Cup, is less well established, but is still the main event of the week when it's played. There is no prize money in these events, so they're irrelevant to the money list.
  • Regular: Routine weekly tour events. The "regular" events vary somewhat in status, but this is a subjective matter. The relative status of the events isn't based on the size of the prize fund to a very large degree, as this doesn't vary much. Some of the other factors which determine the status of a tournament are:
    • Its position in the schedule, which influences the number of leading players that choose to enter.
    • Its age and the distinction of its past champions.
    • The repute of the course on which it's played.
    • Any associations with "legends of golf". Five events in particular have such associations:
    • Invitational: These events are similar to the regular ones, but have a slightly smaller (around 100-120 players), selective field. The top 70 on the previous year's money list can automatically take part to invitationals, as well as past champions of the event. There is an increased amount of sponsor's exemptions as well, and some invitationals allow the defending champion to invite one or several amateurs as well. Invitational tournaments include the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Verizon Heritage, the Memorial Tournament and others. The tournaments usually do have an association with a golf legend, or in the case of the Verizon Heritage, a famous course.
    • Alternate: Events which are played in the same week as a higher status tournament and therefore have weakened fields and reduced prize money. They are often considered an opportunity for players on the bubble (near or below 125th or 150th) in the money list to move up more easily or to attempt an easier two-year exemption for winning a tournament.
    • Fall Series: After the final playoff event of the FedEx Cup season (The Tour Championship), the season concludes with this series of events, whose focus is expected to be the effort by players low on the Money List to secure their membership on the PGA Tour for the following season without having to re-qualify through Q-School.
    There are also a number of events which are recognized by the PGA Tour, but which don't count towards the official money list. Most of these take place in the off season (November and December). This slate of unofficial, often made-for-TV events (which includes the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge, the Franklin Templeton Shootout, the Skins Game, etc.) is referred to as the "Challenge Season" or, less approvingly, the "Silly Season".

    2008 money leaders

    This shows the money leaders for the 2008 PGA Tour season as of May 25, 2008.
    Rank Player Country Events Prize money ($)
    1 Tiger Woods 5 4,425,000
    2 Phil Mickelson 12 3,807,270
    3 Stewart Cink 12 2,482,378
    4 Geoff Ogilvy 12 2,410,685
    5 Ryuji Imada 13 2,312,647
    6 Vijay Singh 12 2,182,017
    7 Anthony Kim 12 2,115,370
    8 Sergio García 9 2,053,890
    9 Jeff Quinney 15 1,882,489
    10 Boo Weekley 14 1,879,780
    There is a full list on the PGA Tour's website here.

    Money winners and most wins leaders

    Players who lead the money list on the PGA Tour win the Arnold Palmer Award (since 1981).
    Year oney winner arnings (US$) ost wins
    2007 Tiger Woods 10,867,052 7: Tiger Woods
    2006 Tiger Woods 9,941,563 8: Tiger Woods
    2005 Tiger Woods 10,628,024 6: Tiger Woods
    2004 Vijay Singh 10,905,166 9: Vijay Singh
    2003 Vijay Singh 7,573,907 5: Tiger Woods
    2002 Tiger Woods 6,912,625 5: Tiger Woods
    2001 Tiger Woods 5,687,777 5: Tiger Woods
    2000 Tiger Woods 9,188,321 9: Tiger Woods
    1999 Tiger Woods 6,616,585 8: Tiger Woods
    1998 David Duval 2,591,031 4: David Duval
    1997 Tiger Woods 2,066,833 4: Tiger Woods
    1996 Tom Lehman 1,780,159 4: Phil Mickelson
    1995 Greg Norman 1,654,959 3: Lee Janzen, Greg Norman
    1994 Nick Price 1,499,927 6: Nick Price
    1993 Nick Price 1,478,557 4: Nick Price
    1992 Fred Couples 1,344,188 3: John Cook; Fred Couples; Davis Love III
    1991 Corey Pavin 979,430 2: 8 players (note 1)
    1990 Greg Norman 1,165,477 4: Wayne Levi
    1989 Tom Kite 1,395,278 3: Tom Kite; Steve Jones
    1988 Curtis Strange 1,147,644 4: Curtis Strange
    1987 Curtis Strange 925,941 3: Paul Azinger; Curtis Strange
    1986 Greg Norman 653,296 4: Bob Tway
    1985 Curtis Strange 542,321 3: Curtis Strange; Lanny Wadkins
    1984 Tom Watson 476,260 3: Tom Watson; Denis Watson
    1983 Hal Sutton 426,668 2: 8 players (note 2)
    1982 Craig Stadler 446,462 4: Craig Stadler, Tom Watson, Calvin Peete
    1981 Tom Kite 375,699 4: Bill Rogers
    1980 Tom Watson 530,808 7: Tom Watson
    1979 Tom Watson 462,636 5: Tom Watson
    1978 Tom Watson 5: Tom Watson
    1977 Tom Watson 5: Tom Watson
    1976 Jack Nicklaus 266,439 3: Ben Crenshaw, Hubert Green
    1975 Jack Nicklaus 298,149 5: Jack Nicklaus
    1974 Johnny Miller 353,022 8: Johnny Miller
    1973 Jack Nicklaus 308,362 7: Jack Nicklaus
    1972 Jack Nicklaus 320,542 7: Jack Nicklaus
    1971 Jack Nicklaus 244,491 6: Lee Trevino
    1970 Lee Trevino 157,037 4: Billy Casper
    1969 Frank Beard 164,707 3: 4 players (note 3)
    1968 Billy Casper 205,169 6: Billy Casper
    1967 Jack Nicklaus 188,998 5: Jack Nicklaus
    1966 Billy Casper 121,945 4: Billy Casper
    1965 Jack Nicklaus 140,752 5: Jack Nicklaus
    1964 Jack Nicklaus 113,285 5: Tony Lema
    1963 Arnold Palmer 128,230 7: Arnold Palmer
    1962 Arnold Palmer 81,448 8: Arnold Palmer
    1961 Gary Player 64,540 6: Arnold Palmer
    1960 Arnold Palmer 75,263 8: Arnold Palmer
    1959 Art Wall, Jr. 53,168 5: Gene Littler
    1958 Arnold Palmer 42,608 4: Ken Venturi
    1957 Dick Mayer 65,835 4: Arnold Palmer
    1956 Ted Kroll 72,836 4: Mike Souchak
    1955 Julius Boros 63,122 6: Cary Middlecoff
    1954 Bob Toski 65,820 4: Bob Toski
    1953 Lew Worsham 34,002 5: Ben Hogan
    1952 Julius Boros 37,033 5: Jack Burke, Jr., Sam Snead
    1951 Lloyd Mangrum 26,089 6: Cary Middlecoff
    1950 Sam Snead 35,759 11: Sam Snead
    1949 Sam Snead 31,594 7: Cary Middlecoff
    1948 Ben Hogan 32,112 10: Ben Hogan
    1947 Jimmy Demaret 27,937 7: Ben Hogan
    1946 Ben Hogan 42,556 13: Ben Hogan
    1945 Byron Nelson 63,336 18: Byron Nelson
    1944 Byron Nelson 37,968 8: Byron Nelson
    1943 No records kept - 1: Sam Byrd, Harold McSpaden, Steve Warga
    1942 Ben Hogan 13,143 6: Ben Hogan
    1941 Ben Hogan 18,358 7: Sam Snead
    1940 Ben Hogan 10,655 6: Jimmy Demaret
    1939 Henry Picard 10,303 8: Henry Picard
    1938 Sam Snead 19,534 8: Sam Snead
    1937 Harry Cooper 14,139 8: Harry Cooper
    1936 Horton Smith 7,682 3: Ralph Guldahl, Jimmy Hines, Henry Picard
    1935 Johnny Revolta 9,543 5: Henry Picard, Johnny Revolta
    1934 Paul Runyan 6,767 7: Paul Runyan
    1933 N/A N/A 9: Paul Runyan
    1932 N/A N/A 4: Gene Sarazen
    1931 N/A N/A 4: Wilfred Cox
    1930 N/A N/A 8: Gene Sarazen
    1929 N/A N/A 8: Horton Smith
    1928 N/A N/A 7: Bill Mehlhorn
    1927 N/A N/A 7: Johnny Farrell
    1926 N/A N/A 5: Bill Mehlhorn, Macdonald Smith
    1925 N/A N/A 5: Leo Diegel
    1924 N/A N/A 5: Walter Hagen
    1923 N/A N/A 5: Walter Hagen, Joe Kirkwood, Sr.
    1922 N/A N/A 4: Walter Hagen
    1921 N/A N/A 4: Jim Barnes
    1920 N/A N/A 4: Jock Hutchison
    1919 N/A N/A 5: Jim Barnes
    1918 N/A N/A 1: Patrick Doyle, Walter Hagen, Jock Hutchison
    1917 N/A N/A 2: Jim Barnes, Mike Brady
    1916 N/A N/A 3: Jim Barnes
    Notes:
  • Players with 2 wins in 1991: Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Fred Couples, Andrew Magee, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, Ian Woosnam
  • Players with 2 wins in 1983: Seve Ballesteros, Jim Colbert, Mark McCumber, Gil Morgan, Calvin Peete, Hal Sutton, Lanny Wadkins, Fuzzy Zoeller
  • Players with 3 wins in 1969: Billy Casper, Raymond Floyd, Dave Hill, Jack Nicklaus

    Multiple money list titles

    The following players have won more than one money list title through 2007:
  • 8: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods
  • 5: Ben Hogan, Tom Watson
  • 4: Arnold Palmer
  • 3: Sam Snead, Curtis Strange, Greg Norman
  • 2: Byron Nelson, Julius Boros, Billy Casper, Tom Kite, Nick Price, Vijay Singh

    Player and rookie of the year awards

    PGA Tour players compete for two player of the year awards. The PGA Player of the Year award dates back to 1948 and is awarded by the PGA of America. Since 1982 the winner has been selected using a points system with marks awarded for wins, money list position and scoring average. The PGA Tour Player of the Year award, also known as the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, is administered by the PGA Tour and was introduced in 1990; the recipient is selected by the tour players by ballot, although the results are not released other than to say who has won. More often than not the same player wins both awards; in fact, as seen in the table below, the PGA and PGA Tour Players of the Year have been the same every year since 1992. The Rookie of the Year award was also introduced in 1990. Players are eligible in their first season of PGA Tour membership; several of the winners had a good deal of international success before their PGA Tour rookie season, and some have been in their thirties when they won the award.
    Year GA Player of the Year GA Tour Player of the Year ookie of the Year
    2007 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Brandt Snedeker
    2006 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Trevor Immelman
    2005 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Sean O'Hair
    2004 Vijay Singh Vijay Singh Todd Hamilton
    2003 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Ben Curtis
    2002 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Jonathan Byrd
    2001 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Charles Howell III
    2000 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Michael Clark II
    1999 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Carlos Franco
    1998 Mark O'Meara Mark O'Meara Steve Flesch
    1997 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Stewart Cink
    1996 Tom Lehman Tom Lehman Tiger Woods
    1995 Greg Norman Greg Norman Woody Austin
    1994 Nick Price Nick Price Ernie Els
    1993 Nick Price Nick Price Vijay Singh
    1992 Fred Couples Fred Couples Mark Carnevale
    1991 Corey Pavin Fred Couples John Daly
    1990 Nick Faldo Wayne Levi Robert Gamez
    1989 Tom Kite - -
    1988 Curtis Strange - -
    1987 Paul Azinger - -
    1986 Bob Tway - -
    1985 Lanny Wadkins - -
    1984 Tom Watson - -
    1983 Hal Sutton - -
    1982 Tom Watson - -
    1981 Bill Rogers - -
    1980 Tom Watson - -
    1979 Tom Watson - -
    1978 Tom Watson - -
    1977 Tom Watson - -
    1976 Jack Nicklaus - -
    1975 Jack Nicklaus - -
    1974 Johnny Miller - -
    1973 Jack Nicklaus - -
    1972 Jack Nicklaus - -
    1971 Lee Trevino - -
    1970 Billy Casper - -
    1969 Orville Moody - -
    1968 No award - -
    1967 Jack Nicklaus - -
    1966 Billy Casper - -
    1965 Dave Marr - -
    1964 Ken Venturi - -
    1963 Julius Boros - -
    1962 Arnold Palmer - -
    1961 Jerry Barber - -
    1960 Arnold Palmer - -
    1959 Art Wall, Jr. - -
    1958 Dow Finsterwald - -
    1957 Dick Mayer - -
    1956 Jack Burke, Jr. - -
    1955 Doug Ford - -
    1954 Ed Furgol - -
    1953 Ben Hogan - -
    1952 Julius Boros - -
    1951 Ben Hogan - -
    1950 Ben Hogan - -
    1949 Sam Snead - -
    1948 Ben Hogan - -

    Multiple PGA Player of the Year Awards

    The following players have won more than one player of the year award through 2007:
  • 9: Tiger Woods
  • 6: Tom Watson
  • 5: Jack Nicklaus
  • 4: Ben Hogan
  • 2: Julius Boros, Billy Casper, Arnold Palmer, Nick Price

    Career money leaders

    The table shows the top ten career money leaders on the PGA Tour as of May 25, 2008. Due to increases in prize funds over the years, it's dominated by current players. The figures are not the players' complete career prize money as they don't include FedEx Cup bonuses, winnings from unofficial money events, or earnings on other tours such as the European Tour. In addition, elite golfers often earn several times as much from endorsements and golf related business interests as they do from prize money.
    Rank Player Country Prize money ($)
    1 Tiger Woods 81,004,376
    2 Vijay Singh 56,290,235
    3 Phil Mickelson 49,141,296
    4 Jim Furyk 36,931,143
    5 Davis Love III 35,805,372
    6 Ernie Els 32,499,673
    7 David Toms 28,233,236
    8 Justin Leonard 24,983,865
    9 Stewart Cink 23,559,072
    10 Mark Calcavecchia 22,969,846
    There is a full list on the PGA Tour's website here.

    Notes and references

    Further Information

    Get more info on 'Pga Tour'.


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