Yesterday, Scottie Sheffler won the players tournament and pocketed $4,500,000.00. Keith Mitchel was dead last and pocketed $49,750.00.
To put this in context compare to Ken Venturi:
Ken Venturi, the American professional golfer, secured 14 victories on the PGA Tour, including a major win at the U.S. Open in 1964. His career was marked by injuries, but he still managed to achieve remarkable success. As for his total winnings, let’s delve into the details: Official PGA Tour Earnings: Venturi’s official earnings from PGA Tour events amounted to $5,300. Victory Bonus: Additionally, he received a $3,000 victory bonus from a golf ball manufacturer he represented.
How about Jack Nicklaus? Jack Nicklaus made $5.7 million in his career on the PGA Tour. Jack Nicklaus won 73 PGA Tour titles including 18 major championships.
Mike - Good post on how things have changed. I looked it up and Ken Venturi actually had $268 thousand in tour earnings. I did a google search and $5 thousand in 1964 is almost $50 thousand in 2024. So very big increase in current tour purses.
Mitchell just came in last of those who made the cut. One of the reasons guys jumped over to LIV is that they don’t have a cut and dead last takes home $50k. Not to mention the individual champion takes home $4m each tournament.
No problem Mike. My next door neighbor Carol Mann (LPGA HOF) passed away a few years ago. She won 39 times, including 1969 U S Open ($20 thousand) and her career winnings were right at $700 thousand. Paltry compared to the money for the LPGA today
True but a lot of golfers from that era did great as course designers, or through endorsements of various types. Jack Nicklaus has a net worth of $300-400 million. Gary Player is another one from that era worth a fortune. Johnny Miller and Lee Trevino did well, but not as well as those two.
Yes, the money today’s golfers are getting is crazy. But no more so than other professional athletes in sports like baseball, basketball, soccer and football. Actually football players might do the worst of the lot. Look at someone like Leighton Vander Esch, who just retired from the NFL due to neck injuries. He’s just 28 and may have earned 20 million in 6 years of playing in the NFL. But he’ll be dealing with severe injuries the rest of his life, so was it worth it?
Lee did well. I’m one of “Lee’s Fleas.” Regardless of his total winnings he commands massive $ just to speak to golfers and golf groups. The greatest craftsman of a golf shot the world has ever known.
Hubert Green: “If you ask Lee to slice a six iron around a tree and hit a cow on the nose he asks you which nostril.”
Tiger, Trevino, Nicklaus, Palmer = icons of the sport.
People will look back 100 years from now when players are awarded their own planets as prizes and say Sheffler was under appreciated.