Hale Irwin finished -23 and took 18% of the purse. That $58,500 is worth about $213,761 in 2026 dollars.
How the 1981 Hawaiian Open purse was split
Every paid player in finishing order. The top 10 took 60% of the money, and the dashed line marks the smallest check.
1981 Hawaiian Open prize money for every player
Final positions and prize money, with what the same untied position paid the year before.
| Pos | Player | To par | Last year | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hale Irwin | -23 | $58,500 | $58,500 |
| 2 | Don January | -17 | $35,100 | $35,100 |
| T3 | Isao Aoki | -16 | $22,100 | $16,900 |
| T3 | Ben Crenshaw | -16 | $22,100 | $16,900 |
| T3 | Terry Diehl | -16 | $22,100 | $16,900 |
| T6 | George Archer | -15 | $11,700 | $10,175 |
| T6 | Andy Bean | -15 | $11,700 | $10,175 |
| T6 | John Mahaffey | -15 | $11,700 | $10,175 |
| T6 | John Schroeder | -15 | $11,700 | $10,175 |
| T6 | Tom Watson | -15 | $11,700 | $10,175 |
| 11 | Lee Trevino | -14 | $8,125 | |
| T12 | Bruce Lietzke | -13 | $6,858 | |
| T12 | Bruce Douglass | -13 | $6,858 | |
| T12 | Buddy Gardner | -13 | $6,858 | |
| T15 | Antonio Cerdá | -12 | $5,362 | |
| T15 | Wayne Levi | -12 | $5,362 | |
| T15 | Larry Nelson | -12 | $5,362 | |
| T15 | Scott Simpson | -12 | $5,362 | |
| T19 | Lou Graham | -11 | $4,225 | |
| T19 | Jay Haas | -11 | $4,225 | |
| T19 | Dave Eichelberger | -11 | $4,225 | |
| T22 | Lon Hinkle | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T22 | Billy Kratzert | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T22 | Jim Simons | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T22 | Doug Tewell | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T22 | Leonard Thompson | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T22 | Larry Ziegler | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T22 | Bobby Walzel | -10 | $3,250 | $2,933 |
| T29 | J. C. Snead | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T29 | Mike McCullough | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T29 | Andy North | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T29 | Rod Curl | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T29 | Mike Gove | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T29 | Lennie Clements | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T29 | Doug Black | -9 | $2,007 | |
| T36 | Lee Elder | -8 | $1,600 | |
| T36 | Pat McGowan | -8 | $1,600 | |
| T36 | Mark Lye | -8 | $1,600 | |
| T36 | Don Hurter | -8 | Not known | |
| T40 | Bobby Wadkins | -7 | $1,330 | |
| T40 | Peter Jacobsen | -7 | $1,330 | |
| T40 | Grier Jones | -7 | $1,330 | |
| T40 | Tom Purtzer | -7 | $1,330 | |
| T40 | Nick Faldo | -7 | $1,330 | |
| T45 | Gibby Gilbert | -6 | $1,008 | |
| T45 | Miller Barber | -6 | $1,008 | |
| T45 | Roger Calvin | -6 | $1,008 | |
| T45 | Dave Stockton | -6 | $1,008 | |
| T45 | Ed Sneed | -6 | $1,008 | |
| T50 | Jim Thorpe | -5 | $797 | |
| T50 | Bill Britton | -5 | $797 | |
| T50 | Jon Chaffee | -5 | $797 | |
| T50 | Bob Beauchemin | -5 | $797 | |
| T50 | Greg Powers | -5 | $797 | |
| T50 | Mike Holland | -5 | $797 | |
| T56 | Tom Jenkins | -4 | $733 | |
| T56 | Loren Roberts | -4 | $733 | |
| T56 | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | -4 | $733 | |
| T56 | Ed Sabo | -4 | $733 | |
| T56 | Tom Storey | -4 | $733 | |
| T61 | Artie McNickle | -3 | $699 | |
| T61 | Terry Mauney | -3 | $699 | |
| T61 | Don Bies | -3 | $699 | |
| T61 | Charles Coody | -3 | $699 | |
| T61 | Phillip Hancock | -3 | $699 | |
| T66 | Masashi Ozaki | -2 | $674 | |
| T66 | Dan Pohl | -2 | $674 | |
| T66 | Mark Rohde | -2 | $674 | |
| T69 | Woody Blackburn | -1 | $662 | |
| 70 | Jim Booros | E | $647 | $656 +1% |
| 71 | Doug Johnson | +1 | $650 | |
| T72 | Mike Smith | +2 | $635 | $641 |
| T72 | Namio Takasu | +2 | $635 | $641 |
| 74 | Sale Omohundro | +5 | $632 | |
| MC | Peter Oosterhuis | +5 | $0 | |
| MC | Don Pooley | E | $0 | |
| MC | Victor Regalado | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Bill Sander | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Doug Sanders | E | $0 | |
| MC | Cesar Sanudo | E | $0 | |
| MC | Bill Rogers | +5 | $0 | |
| MC | Arnold Palmer | +4 | $0 | |
| MC | Bobby Pancratz | +5 | $0 | |
| MC | Hubert Green | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Mark O'Meara | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Steve Melnyk | +3 | $0 | |
| MC | Jack Newton | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Jeff Mitchell | E | $0 | |
| MC | Bob Murphy | E | $0 | |
| MC | Tom Jones | +3 | $0 | |
| MC | Barry Jaeckel | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Gary McCord | E | $0 | |
| MC | Jerry McGee | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Keith Lyford | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Dave Marr | E | $0 | |
| MC | Don Levin | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Gene Littler | E | $0 | |
| MC | Chip Beck | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Dave Barr | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Frank Beard | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Perry Arthur | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Frank Conner | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Jim Chancey | +4 | $0 | |
| MC | Pete Brown | +7 | $0 | |
| MC | Brad Bryant | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | George Burns | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | George Cadle | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Doug Campbell | +7 | $0 | |
| MC | Richie Adham | +4 | $0 | |
| MC | Bill Calfee | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Barry Harwell | +4 | $0 | |
| MC | Mark Hayes | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Vance Heafner | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Joe Hager | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Gary Hallberg | +3 | $0 | |
| MC | Dan Halldorson | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | David Edwards | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Jaime Gonzalez | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Forrest Fezler | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Ed Fiori | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Bruce Fleisher | +3 | $0 | |
| MC | John Fought | +5 | $0 | |
| MC | Clint Doyle | E | $0 | |
| MC | Dave Fowler | E | $0 | |
| MC | Fuzzy Zoeller | -1 | $0 | |
| MC | Tim Simpson | E | $0 | |
| MC | Mark Pfeil | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Tom Shaw | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Allan Strange | +2 | $0 | |
| MC | Ron Streck | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Mike Sullivan | +1 | $0 | |
| MC | Craig Stadler | E | $0 | |
| MC | Scott Stegner | +4 | $0 | |
| — | John Traub | Not known | ||
| — | Skip Tredway | Not known | ||
| — | Gary Trivisonno | Not known | ||
| — | Dennis Trixler | Not known | ||
| — | Joe Tesori | Not known | ||
| — | David Thore | Not known | ||
| — | Robert Seligman | Not known | ||
| — | Bob Smith | Not known | ||
| — | Jack Spradlin | Not known | ||
| — | Skip Dunaway | Not known | ||
| — | John Jacobs | Not known | ||
| — | Bill Lytle | Not known | ||
| — | Curtis Worley | Not known | ||
| — | William Rogers | Not known | ||
| — | Bill Bakken | Not known | ||
| — | Bill Eissele | Not known | ||
| — | R.W. Eaks | Not known | ||
| — | Jim Dent | Not known | ||
| — | Dan Frickey | Not known | ||
| — | Jack Ferenz | Not known | ||
| — | David Eger | Not known | ||
| — | Ted Goin | Not known | ||
| — | Charlie Gibson | Not known | ||
| — | Bunky Henry | Not known | ||
| — | John Calabria | Not known | ||
| — | Beau Baugh | Not known | ||
| — | Bill Loeffler | Not known | ||
| — | David Lundstrom | Not known | ||
| — | Pat Lindsey | Not known | ||
| — | Thomas Gray | Not known | ||
| — | Brent Murray | Not known | ||
| — | Tim Norris | Not known | ||
| — | Craig Metz | Not known | ||
| — | Allen Miller | Not known | ||
| — | Lindy Miller | Not known | ||
| — | Rod Nuckolls | Not known | ||
| — | Mike Peck | Not known | ||
| WD | Howard Twitty | +5 | Not known |
Sony Open in Hawaii winner's share over time
This year is labeled. Full tournament history →
1981 Hawaiian Open payout FAQ
How much did the winner of the 1981 Hawaiian Open get?
Hale Irwin won $58,500 from a $325,000 purse.
What was the 1981 Hawaiian Open purse?
$325,000.
How much did last place get at the 1981 Hawaiian Open?
The smallest check was $632, to Sale Omohundro (74).
How many players made the cut at the 1981 Hawaiian Open?
74 players made the cut and finished, and 59 players missed it.