Ray Floyd finished -3 and took 16% of the purse. That $72,000 is worth about $263,090 in 2026 dollars.
How the 1981 Tournament Players Championship purse was split
Every paid player in finishing order. The top 10 took 62% of the money, and the dashed line marks the smallest check.
1981 Tournament Players Championship 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 | Ray Floyd | -3 | $72,000 | $72,000 |
| T2 | Barry Jaeckel | -3 | $43,200 | $35,200 |
| T2 | Curtis Strange | -3 | $43,200 | $35,200 |
| T4 | Jim Simons | -1 | $15,750 | |
| T4 | Bruce Lietzke | -1 | $15,750 | |
| T4 | Miller Barber | -1 | $15,750 | |
| T4 | Jim Colbert | -1 | $15,750 | |
| T8 | Frank Conner | E | $10,400 | $11,200 |
| T8 | Gary Hallberg | E | $10,400 | $11,200 |
| T8 | Dan Halldorson | E | $10,400 | $11,200 |
| T8 | Leonard Thompson | E | $10,400 | $11,200 |
| T12 | Lee Trevino | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T12 | Ron Streck | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T12 | Jack Renner | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T12 | Bobby Clampett | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T12 | Grier Jones | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T12 | Gil Morgan | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T12 | Mike Morley | +1 | $7,371 | |
| T19 | Tom Purtzer | +2 | $4,680 | |
| T19 | John Mahaffey | +2 | $4,680 | |
| T19 | Dave Stockton | +2 | $4,680 | |
| T19 | Barney Thompson | +2 | $4,680 | |
| T19 | Bobby Walzel | +2 | $4,680 | |
| T19 | Tom Weiskopf | +2 | $4,680 | |
| 25 | Danny Edwards | +3 | $3,520 | |
| T26 | Dave Eichelberger | +4 | $3,080 | |
| T26 | Wayne Levi | +4 | $3,080 | |
| T26 | Mark O'Meara | +4 | $3,080 | |
| T29 | Calvin Peete | +5 | $2,600 | |
| T29 | Jay Haas | +5 | $2,600 | |
| T29 | Charles Coody | +5 | $2,600 | |
| T29 | Seve Ballesteros | +5 | $2,600 | |
| T29 | Jack Nicklaus | +5 | $2,600 | |
| T34 | Jim Dent | +6 | $2,160 | |
| T34 | Mark Hayes | +6 | $2,160 | |
| T34 | Jerry McGee | +6 | $2,160 | |
| T37 | Johnny Miller | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Billy Kratzert | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Scott Hoch | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Joe Inman | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Hubert Green | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Bud Allin | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Howard Twitty | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T37 | Bobby Wadkins | +7 | $1,680 | |
| T45 | Mark McCumber | +8 | $1,144 | $1,144 |
| T45 | Pat McGowan | +8 | $1,144 | $1,144 |
| T45 | Roger Maltbie | +8 | $1,144 | $1,144 |
| T45 | Arnold Palmer | +8 | $1,144 | $1,144 |
| T45 | Jerry Pate | +8 | $1,144 | $1,144 |
| T45 | Dan Pohl | +8 | $1,144 | $1,144 |
| T51 | Hale Irwin | +9 | $954 | $947 |
| T51 | Lee Elder | +9 | $954 | $947 |
| T51 | Ed Fiori | +9 | $954 | $947 |
| T51 | D.A. Weibring | +9 | $954 | $947 |
| T51 | Bill Rogers | +9 | $954 | $947 |
| T56 | Skip Dunaway | +10 | $900 | |
| T56 | Keith Fergus | +10 | $900 | |
| T56 | Rex Caldwell | +10 | $900 | |
| T56 | Tom Jenkins | +10 | $900 | |
| T60 | Mark Pfeil | +11 | $868 | $872 |
| T60 | Peter Oosterhuis | +11 | $868 | $872 |
| T60 | Mick Soli | +11 | $868 | $872 |
| T63 | Mike Sullivan | +12 | $848 | |
| T63 | Ben Crenshaw | +12 | $848 | |
| T63 | Bob Gilder | +12 | $848 | |
| T66 | Lonnie Nielsen | +13 | $824 | |
| T66 | Don Pooley | +13 | $824 | |
| T66 | John Schroeder | +13 | $824 | |
| T69 | Andy North | +15 | $804 | |
| T69 | Mike Gove | +15 | $804 | |
| 71 | Bruce Douglass | +16 | $792 | |
| 72 | Lou Graham | +18 | $784 | |
| 73 | Rik Massengale | +19 | $772 | $776 +1% |
| 74 | Jim Thorpe | +21 | $768 | |
| MC | Tommy Valentine | +12 | $0 | |
| MC | Alan Tapie | +12 | $0 | |
| MC | Doug Tewell | +13 | $0 | |
| MC | Bob Shearer | +10 | $0 | |
| MC | Mark Rohde | +17 | $0 | |
| MC | Mike Nicolette | +13 | $0 | |
| MC | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | +13 | $0 | |
| MC | Craig Stadler | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Scott Simpson | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Tim Simpson | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Ed Sneed | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Larry Ziegler | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Fuzzy Zoeller | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Tom Watson | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Lanny Wadkins | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Terry Mauney | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Mike McCullough | +14 | $0 | |
| MC | Artie McNickle | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Steve Melnyk | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Jeff Mitchell | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Joe Hager | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Gary Koch | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Gene Littler | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Lyn Lott | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Mark Lye | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Bob Murphy | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Jim Nelford | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Larry Nelson | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Jack Newton | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Bobby Nichols | +12 | $0 | |
| MC | Greg Powers | +14 | $0 | |
| MC | Dana Quigley | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Sammy Rachels | +16 | $0 | |
| MC | Victor Regalado | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Mike Reid | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Gary Player | +10 | $0 | |
| MC | Phillip Hancock | +10 | $0 | |
| MC | Morris Hatalsky | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Peter Jacobsen | +16 | $0 | |
| MC | Vance Heafner | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Dave Hill | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Lon Hinkle | +23 | $0 | |
| MC | David Graham | +18 | $0 | |
| MC | Jaime Gonzalez | +10 | $0 | |
| MC | John Fought | +10 | $0 | |
| MC | Buddy Gardner | +13 | $0 | |
| MC | Gibby Gilbert | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | David Edwards | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Bob Eastwood | +11 | $0 | |
| MC | Rod Curl | +18 | $0 | |
| MC | Bruce Devlin | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Terry Diehl | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Mike Donald | +22 | $0 | |
| MC | John Cook | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | Bill Calfee | +15 | $0 | |
| MC | Roger Calvin | +12 | $0 | |
| MC | Antonio Cerdá | +19 | $0 | |
| MC | Jon Chaffee | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Chip Beck | +19 | $0 | |
| MC | Michael Brannan | +9 | $0 | |
| MC | Brad Bryant | +17 | $0 | |
| MC | John Adams | +8 | $0 | |
| MC | George Cadle | +13 | $0 | |
| MC | Wally Armstrong | +16 | $0 | |
| MC | Butch Baird | +19 | $0 | |
| WD | Andy Bean | +6 | Not known | |
| WD | George Burns | +4 | Not known | |
| WD | Bobby Cole | +3 | Not known | |
| WD | J. C. Snead | +8 | Not known |
The Players Championship winner's share over time
This year is labeled. Full tournament history →
1981 Tournament Players Championship payout FAQ
How much did the winner of the 1981 Tournament Players Championship get?
Ray Floyd won $72,000 from a $440,000 purse.
What was the 1981 Tournament Players Championship purse?
$440,000.
How much did last place get at the 1981 Tournament Players Championship?
The smallest check was $768, to Jim Thorpe (74).
How many players made the cut at the 1981 Tournament Players Championship?
74 players made the cut and finished, and 65 players missed it.