And the winner is …
Ted Scott?
OK, Scottie Scheffler's caddie did not made as much money in 2024 as those at the top of PGA or LIV tours, but he's not that far down the list.
If Scott were a golfer, the estimated $5.2 million he made from world No. 1 Scheffler's record-breaking season would have made the top 20 cut, falling in at No. 20 on the PGA Tour's 2024 prize money list and one spot lower among LIV golfers.
Which, of course, means those actually hitting the ball are doing pretty well. Make that, very well.
On both tours.
More: PGA Tour-LIV Golf Timeline: One year has passed and golf fans still are waiting for a deal
Remember when LIV's prize money for individual events dwarfed most PGA Tour's events? When $20 million purses and a $4 million winner's share were eye-popping? Because of that kind of cash being tossed around by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, which finances LIV, the PGA Tour had no choice but to react or risk losing more stars.
So when Scheffler sees his bank account grow by more than $54 million this year from his prize money and bonus, he needs to at least send a "thank you" to LIV Golf and its CEO and architect, Palm Beach Gardens' Greg Norman.
And that does not include the initial round of player equity grants of $930 million – bolstered by a $1.5 billion investment by Strategic Sports Group – to be awarded to 193 PGA Tour members, the majority going to the top 36 golfers.
That increase in money now being sent the players way on the tour is a direct result of LIV Golf.
In fact, a look at the money list shows PGA Tour players and those in the same spot from LIV pretty close for many of the first 30 or so spots, before the PGA players pull away. Figures from PGA Tour players are through the final event of the playoff, the Tour Championship. Close, except at the very top.
Of course, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith all had at least $100 million other reasons to join LIV.
Scheffler earns nearly $20 million more than Rahm
Scheffler's record season includes $29.3 million in prize money and a $25 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup, totaling $54.3 million.
Rahm's first year on LIV – LIV's season concluded Sunday with the team championship – ended as the league's individual champion. The Spaniard won $16.8 million in prize money and an $18 million bonus as the league's top player.
Scheffler's advantage over Rahm, including bonus money, is close to $20 million, which could force the Saudi Public Investment Fund to dip into that $925 billion war chest to throw a few more bucks LIV's way.
Joaquin Niemann was second on LIV's prize money list with $16.5 million but he added a $12 million bonus for finishing second in the individual standings. That pushed the North Palm Resident ahead of Jupiter's Xander Schauffele, who earned $18.4 million in prize money on the PGA Tour, No. 2 on the list, plus a $4.8 million playoff bonus.
Colin Morikawa was seventh on the PGA Tour's money list with $8.4 million but he made $12.5 million as runner-up to Scheffler in the playoff, boosting his total to nearly $21 million.
Sergio Garcia's resurgence on the LIV Tour at 44 years old netted him $13.6 million in prize money (No. 3) while Tyrrell Hatton won $12 million before adding a $4 million bonus for finishing third in the individual points standings.
Jupiter's Brooks Koepka was No. 5 on LIV's money list at $11.6 million. No. 5 on the PGA Tour is Rory McIlroy at $10.9 million. McIlroy, also from Jupiter, added a $1.6 million bonus.
Koepka, and other LIV golfers, also received bonus money from the team championship; and prize money for those who played and made the cut in the majors.
Other interesting comparisons:
The tour's official money list goes 240 deep.
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Comparing prize money from LIV Golf and PGA Tour in 2024
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