When I read that Matt Kuchar had topped the PGA Tour 2010 money list with $4,910,477 in earnings, I began to wonder how that feat stacks up historically. On the surface, it doesn’t look like much compared to the $10,905,166 Vijay Singh racked up in 2004, or the $10,867,052 Tiger scored in 2007. But it certainly looks miles away from the $6,767 that Paul Runyan earned in 1934—the first year records were kept.
Of course, the problem with such historical comparisons is that over time, inflation has eroded the value of the dollar. To get a true comparison, player earnings need to be figured in current dollars. To do that, I recalcuated the earnings based on published inflation rates.
In current dollars, it turns out that Paul Runyan’s $6,767 in 1934 would be worth $110,911.13—not close to Matt Kuchar’s $4 million, but surely a pretty good living. Tops among the early players, Byron Nelson’s 1945 campaign netted him an inflation-adjusted $746,727.43. No wonder he was able to buy a ranch on his winnings. Jack Nicklaus in 1967 was the first to top $1 million in inflation adjusted dollars.
Kuchar’s $4 million thus is a pretty paltry sum. Sing’s $10 million in 2004 would be worth $12 million today. Kuchar earned a third of that. It is, however, roughly twice what Nick Price earned in 1994—the year before the so-called “Tiger Effect” took hold.
The entire chart is below:
| Year | Winner | Earnings | Inflation Adjusted |
| 2010 | Matt Kuchar | $4,910,477 | $4,910,477.00 |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods | $10,508,163 | $10,508,163.00 |
| 2008 | Vijay Singh | $6,601,094 | $6,601,094.00 |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods | $10,867,052 | $11,193,063.56 |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods | $9,941,563 | $10,538,056.78 |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods | $10,628,024 | $11,584,546.16 |
| 2004 | Vijay Singh | $10,905,166 | $12,322,837.58 |
| 2003 | Vijay Singh | $7,573,907 | $8,785,732.12 |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods | $6,912,625 | $8,226,023.75 |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods | $5,687,777 | $6,882,210.17 |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods | $9,188,321 | $11,301,634.83 |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods | $6,616,585 | $8,469,228.80 |
| 1998 | David Duval | $2,591,031 | $3,394,250.61 |
| 1997 | Tiger Woods | $2,066,833 | $2,748,887.89 |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | $1,780,159 | $2,403,214.65 |
| 1995 | Greg Norman | $1,654,959 | $2,300,393.01 |
| 1994 | Nick Price | $1,499,927 | $2,144,895.61 |
| 1993 | Nick Price | $1,478,557 | $2,173,478.79 |
| 1992 | Fred Couples | $1,344,188 | $2,029,723.88 |
| 1991 | Corey Pavin | $979,430 | $1,527,910.80 |
| 1990 | Greg Norman | $1,165,477 | $1,888,072.74 |
| 1989 | Tom Kite | $1,395,278 | $2,385,925.38 |
| 1988 | Curtis Strange | $1,147,644 | $2,054,282.76 |
| 1987 | Curtis Strange | $925,941 | $1,722,250.26 |
| 1986 | Greg Norman | $653,296 | $1,260,861.28 |
| 1985 | Curtis Strange | $542,321 | $1,068,372.37 |
| 1984 | Tom Watson | $476,260 | $971,570.40 |
| 1983 | Hal Sutton | $426,668 | $908,802.84 |
| 1982 | Craig Stadler | $446,462 | $977,751.78 |
| 1981 | Tom Kite | $375,698.84 | $875,378.30 |
| 1980 | Tom Watson | $530,808.33 | $1,364,177.41 |
| 1979 | Tom Watson | $462,636 | $1,350,897.12 |
| 1978 | Tom Watson | $362,428.93 | $1,177,894.02 |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | $310,653.16 | $1,087,286.06 |
| 1976 | Jack Nicklaus | $266,498.57 | $994,039.67 |
| 1975 | Jack Nicklaus | $298,149.17 | $1,174,707.73 |
| 1974 | Johnny Miller | $353,021.59 | $1,517,992.84 |
| 1973 | Jack Nicklaus | $308,362.10 | $1,473,970.84 |
| 1972 | Jack Nicklaus | $320,542.26 | $1,625,149.26 |
| 1971 | Jack Nicklaus | $244,490.50 | $1,281,130.22 |
| 1970 | Lee Trevino | $157,037.63 | $857,425.46 |
| 1969 | Frank Beard | $164,707.11 | $953,654.17 |
| 1968 | Billy Casper | $205,168.67 | $1,251,528.89 |
| 1967 | Jack Nicklaus | $188,998.08 | $1,200,137.81 |
| 1966 | Billy Casper | $121,944.92 | $797,519.78 |
| 1965 | Jack Nicklaus | $140,752.14 | $947,261.90 |
| 1964 | Jack Nicklaus | $113,284.50 | $774,865.98 |
| 1963 | Arnold Palmer | $128,230 | $888,633.90 |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | $81,448.33 | $571,767.28 |
| 1961 | Gary Player | $64,540.45 | $457,591.79 |
| 1960 | Arnold Palmer | $75,262.85 | $528,345.21 |
| 1959 | Art Wall | $58,167.60 | $416,480.02 |
| 1958 | Arnold Palmer | $42,607.50 | $312,739.05 |
| 1957 | Dick Mayer | $65,835 | $495,737.55 |
| 1956 | Ted Kroll | $72,835.83 | $568,847.83 |
| 1955 | Julius Boros | $63,121.55 | $499,922.68 |
| 1954 | Bob Toski | $65,819.81 | $519,318.30 |
| 1953 | Lew Worsham | $34,002 | $269,635.86 |
| 1952 | Julius Boros | $37,032.97 | $295,893.43 |
| 1951 | Lloyd Mangrum | $26,068.83 | $212,982.34 |
| 1950 | Sam Snead | $35,758.83 | $315,392.88 |
| 1949 | Sam Snead | $31,598.83 | $281,229.59 |
| 1948 | Ben Hogan | $32,112 | $282,906.72 |
| 1947 | Jimmy Demaret | $27,936.83 | $265,399.89 |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan | $42,556.16 | $462,585.46 |
| 1945 | Byron Nelson | $63,335.66 | $746,727.43 |
| 1944 | Byron Nelson | $37,967.69 | $458,270.02 |
| 1943 | No stats compiled | ||
| 1942 | Ben Hogan | $13,143 | $171,121.86 |
| 1941 | Ben Hogan | $18,358 | $264,538.78 |
| 1940 | Ben Hogan | $10,655 | $161,210.15 |
| 1939 | Henry Picard | $10,303 | $157,429.84 |
| 1938 | Sam Snead | $19,534.49 | $294,384.76 |
| 1937 | Harry Cooper | $14,138.69 | $208,969.84 |
| 1936 | Horton Smith | $7,682 | $118,840.54 |
| 1935 | Johnny Revolta | $9,543 | $151,351.98 |
| 1934 | Paul Runyan | $6,767 | $110,911.13 |
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Wow what really Amazes me is how much inflation there has been in 50 years. Tiger’s rolling in the money.
-Jenn
I’d love to see a stat that takes out the “Tiger Effect”. That would be percentage of total Tour purse won by the winner.