How much does the average pro golfer make?
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion over players’ wages, largely as a result of the massive prize pools offered by the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Different people have drastically different views on whether the money awarded on the PGA Tour is fair. For instance, Andrew Coltart, a former professional who is now a…
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion over players’ wages, largely as a result of the massive prize pools offered by the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Different people have drastically different views on whether the money awarded on the PGA Tour is fair. For instance, Andrew Coltart, a former professional who is now a Sky Sports analyst, voiced disgust with the manner in which players discussed their salaries. Rory McIlroy has said that “anyone who believes we’re underpaid ‘needs their head examined,” and Shane Lowry defended participating in the contentious Saudi International by noting he is providing for his family.
How much does the average pro golfer make?
The enormous sums of money that the PGA Tour’s top players make are beyond dispute. Following his victory at The Masters, Scottie Scheffler’s 2022 earnings had surpassed $10 million by early April. Jon Rahm topped the wealth list in 2021 with earnings of $7,705,933. But what does the typical PGA Tour athlete earn? The response is straightforward: in 2021, the average salary was $1,485,055. Although the number appears to be healthy enough, it is significantly skewed due to the enormous sums given to the best performers.
Of course, being good on the PGA Tour pays – handsomely – but there are some players whose earnings are distinctly meager. Consider Parker McLachlan, a player who placed 250th overall on the 2021 money list. The American, whose only PGA Tour triumph was the 2008 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, competed in nine events in 2021 but only took home $6,090 as compensation.
