I watch golf with my elderly father, who played all of his life. I don't get worked up about who wins- altho I like to see Tiger win because I like his attitude, what he's about and just LOOKING at him. That's one big, beautiful smile!
Does anyone know what they make when they win tournaments like the PGA? Does the money drop off significantly after 1st and second place? Do only the top 5 or 10 make money?
I've always wondered how so many guys play in those things if there's no money in it except for the top finishers.
I'm pretty sure anyone (except amateurs) who makes the cut gets a check, though the amounts gradually decrease as you get down the leaderboard. The real money comes from endorsements and appearance fees, though.
I despise his attitude. When things aren't going his way he curses like nobody's business (in front of many younger adoring fans) and slams his clubs into the ground. A couple months ago after a particularly poor effort at a putt he dragged his putter along the green, scuffing it up badly. He's out of control, and very immature.
Cash is paid out down to the very end for those who make the cut (I think), although there is a major dropoff. As the winner, Phil gets almost $1.2 million. Elkington and Bjorn (tied for 2nd ) get over a half-million apiece. Tiger and Davis Love will get just under $300K apiece. Hal Sutton (finished last in 79th place) will get a check for $11,600.
Everyone who makes the cut earns a paycheck. If you miss the cut, you don't get paid. Unlike any other sport, PGA Tour golf is complete meritocracy, because if you don't make the cut, you don't get paid; period. There are no bonuses, no appearance fees, no nothing: indeed, every player, even Tiger Woods, has to pay an entry fee to play in each and every PGA tournament.
For instance, here is a purse for a typical tournament (I chose the Quad Cities). http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r030/results
http://i.pga.com/pga/images/events/2005/pgachamp/pdf/totalpurse.pdf
Mainly due to Tiger and the new fans he has brought to the game through television, purses are up, up, up! Mickelson as the winner today gets about $1.3 million. Elkington and Bjorn probably each got $500K.
All the Tour players should love Tiger, because mainly due to him they're all getting richer. The Top 40 money winners last year all won over $1 Million for the year, the Top 20 over $2 Million. Even the lowest fully exempt player, Number 125 on the money list, still won almost $700K. Mind you, many of these guys never even win once in their careers but can still make a very good living. Win once a year and you're a millionaire for sure. Win twice a year and you're a multimillionaire and a superstar to boot. Win a couple of majors and you're practically enshrined in the pantheon.