C
Clarity News Hub

How much does the average PGA pro make?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 18, 2026

According to pgatour.com, the average PGA Tour player earned just under $1.5 million in 2021. That number spans from that year's money leader, Jon Rahm, who earned a cool $7,705,933 million, to the PGA Tour's 250th place earner, Parker McLachlin, who earned $6,090.

How much does the lowest paid player on the PGA Tour make?

According to the PGA of America's compensation survey for 2010, PGA head pros made a median of $68,600, with the range from $40,000 to $140,000. Assistant pros who are full PGA members made a median of $37,000, ranging from $22,000 to $59,000.

How much does the worst PGA golfer make?

The lowest-ranked PGA Championship contestant generally takes home around $19,000 for the tour, although the most recent last place Championship finisher, David Muttitt, received just a $3,000 payout.

Do pro golfers get paid a salary?

Golf is unlike a lot of other sports in that there is no base salary that competitors receive. Instead it is much like tennis in that the amount earned is entirely predicated on performance and success.

How much money does a PGA winner get?

The overall prize money payout is $7.6 million with the winner earning $1.368 million. Here's the prize money payouts for every golfer who made the cut at this week's event.

23 related questions found

Do pro golfers pay entry fees?

Except at the highest levels, professional golfers must pay entry fees to play in tournaments. It may seem counterintuitive, but a player at the top of golf's food chain often doesn't have to pay an entry fee, because expenses for high-profile tournaments are covered by sponsors and TV networks.

How much do pro golfers make per tournament?

The tournament then pays each individual player by the order in which they finished. The average PGA Tour purse for 2022 is $9.1 million. The Player's Championship offers the largest payout on tour with a total purse of $20 million. Cameron Smith's win in 2022 earned him a staggering $3.6 million for that event alone.

What does a PGA caddy make?

As Collins explained, caddies also get a weekly salary negotiated with their player. Caddies can range from $1,500-$3,000 a week. However, some caddies opt for a higher weekly paycheck in exchange for a lower percentage of winnings. "No caddie and player has the same deal," Collins said.

How much does Tiger Woods caddy make?

Just ask Joe LaCava, Woods' caddie. Woods earned $5.4 million on the tour in 2018, so estimating LaCava's take based on the going rate is fairly straightforward. The caddie likely earned somewhere between $272,192 and $544,384 for the year, on top of the money he earned from weekly salaries.

Do pro golfers pay taxes on winnings?

Another common question with respect to prize winnings is whether athletes, such as pro golfers, pay taxes on their prize earnings. If an athlete is a resident living in the United States, they must pay federal income tax on prize money they earn in the country and outside the United States.

How do pro golfers get paid?

Professional Tour Player

Professional golfers are paid a percentage of the purse for each tournament they play in and finish in the money. For example, the U.S. Open pays down to the 60th place finisher. Rory McIlroy won $1.4 million wining the US Open in 2011. The player in 60th place received a little over $17,000.

Is 80 a good score in golf?

In golf, scores less than 120 strokes are seen as respectable, or "good" scores among amateur golfers. While 90 stroke scores are considered average, scores below 120 strokes on an 18-hole course are seen amongst the golf community as relatively good.

How much does a female pro golfer make a year?

According to the most recent LPGA money list, the median income for all players is $141,428. The top 10 percent of players earned a median of $1,320,900 and played in at least 20 tournaments. The lowest 10 percent only brought in $5,924 and may have only played in 10 to 15 tournaments.

Why do golfers get paid so much?

Golfers get paid so much because of sponsorships and tournament funds that are allocated to the tournament purse. Because of the attention to professional golf and the participation of brands and fans, there is quite a bit of money to give to the top players.

How much do Korn Ferry Tour players make?

The minimum purse on the Korn Ferry Tour is currently $750,000, up from $600,000 and then $550,000 just a few years ago. That means the minimum winner's share of a purse is $135,000, or 18 percent of the total prize money.

Do PGA rules officials get paid?

The highest salary for a Rules Official in United States is $105,684 per year.

Who is the richest caddy in golf?

1. Jimmy Johnson. What is this? Jimmy Johnson is currently caddying for Justin Thomas, but he has a successful history on tour.

What car does Rory McIlroy drive?

He's got a Bentley, an Audi RS6 and a Lamborghini LP 560-4—a 550-horsepower machine. Yes, Rory loves to party and it's no secret. Rory doesn't like secrets, unlike that Eldrick guy. He bought his parents a beautiful home in Holywood before he started spending on himself.

How much does winning caddy get at Masters?

The average caddy earns $1,000 to $2,500 per week. The pay is largely dependent on how well the golfer they are carrying for does and whether or not they make the cut. If a golfer misses the cut, his or her caddy will still earn about half of what he or she would have made if the golfer had made the cut.

How much does it cost to play in the Masters?

An individual entry fee of $400 is paid by almost all the professional golfers participating in a pre-tournament qualifying event. Nationwide Tour and Champions players pay $100 each, whereas non-exempt PHA Tour members do not pay any entry fee.

Do golfers who missed the cut get paid?

In 2017, every professional who missed the cut was paid $10,000. At the US Open, the players who miss the 36-hole cut each earn $10,000. At the PGA Championship, the players who miss the 36-hole cut are also paid, earning $3,200 each.

Do any pro golfers smoke?

The regular cadre of players who smoke cigars on the Senior Tour includes Jacobs, Morgan, Thorpe, Green, Dana Quigley and Tom Wargo. A few players like Bob Murphy and Gary McCord smoke occasionally, and in doing so pinch a cigar or two from another player's locker, thievery that is delightfully allowed.

Do caddies pay their own expenses?

How does the business arrangement typically work? Professionals' caddies, just like the golfers for whom they work, are self-employed, independent contractors responsible for paying their own expenses.