Tom Watson has earned $10,839,915 in official PGA Tour prize money from 400 starts, 1974–2016, plus $32,000 in FedEx Cup bonuses, for $10,871,915 in total. That ranks 255th on the PGA Tour's career money list. Adding the DP World Tour and LIV Golf, he has earned $10,903,485 in prize money.
He has 39 PGA Tour wins, including 8 majors. His best season was 1998, when he earned $976,585 and finished 29th on the money list. He led the money list 5 times (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984).
Tom Watson earnings by year
Official prize money each season. Labels show his money-list rank when he finished in the top 10. Click a bar for that season.
| Season | Starts | Wins | Money list | FedEx bonus | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 452nd | $0 | $0 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 354th | $0 | $11,623 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | 277th | $0 | $53,727 |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 287th | $0 | $28,980 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | 303rd | $0 | $28,470 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | 249th | $0 | $72,067 |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | 221st | $0 | $149,371 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | 121st | $32,000 | $732,603 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | 442nd | $0 | $0 |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 251st | $0 | $64,350 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | 308th | No FedEx Cup | $21,578 |
| 2005 | 2 | 0 | 299th | No FedEx Cup | $26,243 |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 | 342nd | No FedEx Cup | $10,350 |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | 226th | No FedEx Cup | $108,017 |
| 2002 | 4 | 0 | 197th | No FedEx Cup | $180,130 |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | 313th | No FedEx Cup | $9,950 |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 | 174th | No FedEx Cup | $158,409 |
| 1999 | 13 | 0 | 174th | No FedEx Cup | $141,410 |
| 1998 | 15 | 1 | 29th | No FedEx Cup | $976,585 |
| 1997 | 16 | 0 | 45th | No FedEx Cup | $479,146 |
| 1996 | 15 | 1 | 25th | No FedEx Cup | $761,238 |
| 1995 | 16 | 0 | 58th | No FedEx Cup | $320,785 |
| 1994 | 15 | 0 | 43rd | No FedEx Cup | $380,378 |
| 1993 | 16 | 0 | 46th | No FedEx Cup | $342,023 |
| 1992 | 15 | 0 | 50th | No FedEx Cup | $299,818 |
| 1991 | 16 | 0 | 45th | No FedEx Cup | $354,877 |
| 1990 | 17 | 0 | 68th | No FedEx Cup | $213,989 |
| 1989 | 18 | 0 | 80th | No FedEx Cup | $185,398 |
| 1988 | 19 | 0 | 39th | No FedEx Cup | $273,216 |
| 1987 | 20 | 1 | 5th | No FedEx Cup | $616,351 |
| 1986 | 20 | 0 | 20th | No FedEx Cup | $278,338 |
| 1985 | 19 | 0 | 18th | No FedEx Cup | $226,778 |
| 1984 | 20 | 3 | 1st | No FedEx Cup | $476,260 |
| 1983 | 17 | 1 | 12th | No FedEx Cup | $237,519 |
| 1982 | 20 | 4 | 5th | No FedEx Cup | $316,483 |
| 1981 | 21 | 3 | 3rd | No FedEx Cup | $347,660 |
| 1980 | 22 | 7 | 1st | No FedEx Cup | $530,808 |
| 1979 | 5 | 1st | No FedEx Cup | $462,636 | |
| 1978 | 5 | 1st | No FedEx Cup | $362,429 | |
| 1977 | 5 | 1st | No FedEx Cup | $310,653 | |
| 1975 | 2 | 7th | No FedEx Cup | $153,795 | |
| 1974 | 1 | 10th | No FedEx Cup | $135,474 |
Every Watson start, season by season
Tom Watson made 400 starts over 42 seasons. Each square is one tournament. Click one for the leaderboard.
Where Watson's money came from
Career split, then season by season: Majors 30%, The Players 5%, Other events 66%, FedEx Cup bonus 0%.
Tom Watson at the majors
129 major starts and $3,224,670 in prize money. Darker squares paid more, and an orange ring is a win.
| 70 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters | CUT | T8 | T33 | 1 | T2 | T2 | T12 | 1 | T5 | T4 | 2 | T10 | T6 | T7 | T9 | T14 | T7 | T3 | T48 | T45 | 13 | T14 | MC | 4 | MC | MC | MC | MC | T40 | MC | MC | MC | MC | MC | MC | MC | T18 | MC | MC | MC | MC | MC | MC | |
| PGA Championship | 9 | T15 | T6 | T2 | T10 | MC | T9 | T47 | T39 | T6 | T16 | T14 | T31 | T9 | T19 | MC | T62 | 5 | T9 | T58 | T17 | MC | MC | MC | T9 | T66 | T48 | MC | MC | MC | ||||||||||||||
| U.S. Open | T5 | T9 | 7 | T7 | T6 | T3 | T23 | 1 | 2 | T11 | MC | T24 | 2 | T36 | T46 | MC | T16 | MC | T5 | T6 | T56 | T13 | 64 | MC | T57 | T27 | T28 | T29 | ||||||||||||||||
| The Open | 1 | 1 | T14 | 1 | T23 | 1 | 1 | T2 | 7 | T28 | 4 | T31 | T10 | MC | MC | T55 | MC | MC | T18 | T41 | T48 | MC | 2 | MC | T22 | T77 | MC | T51 |
Tom Watson's PGA Tour wins
Watson's first PGA Tour win came at the 1974 Western Open, in his first season on tour. His biggest winner's check was $414,000 at the 1998 MasterCard Colonial. Of the prize money where his finish is recorded, wins account for 23%, finishes from 2nd to 10th for 54% and everything else for 24%.
- 1998MasterCard Colonial$414,000
- 1996Memorial Tournament$324,000
- 1987Nabisco Championship$360,000
- 1984Western Open$72,000
- 1984MONY Tournament of Champions$72,000
- 1984Seiko-Tucson Match Play Championship
- 1983The Open ChampionshipMajor$60,636
- 1982The Open ChampionshipMajor$55,936
- 1982U.S. OpenMajor$60,000
- 1982Sea Pines Heritage$54,000
- 1982Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open$54,400
- 1981Atlanta Classic$60,000
- 1981USF&G New Orleans Open$63,000
- 1981Masters TournamentMajor$60,000
- 1980World Series of Golf$54,000
- 1980The Open ChampionshipMajor$58,115
- 1980Byron Nelson Golf Classic$45,000
- 1980Greater New Orleans Open$60,000
- 1980MONY Tournament of Champions$54,000
- 1980Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open$45,000
- 1980Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational$45,000
- 1979Colgate Hall of Fame Classic
- 1979Memorial Tournament
- 1979Byron Nelson Golf Classic
- 1979MONY Tournament of Champions
- 1979Sea Pines Heritage Classic
- 1978Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic
- 1978Colgate Hall of Fame Classic
- 1978Byron Nelson Golf Classic
- 1978Bing Crosby National Pro-Am
- 1978Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open
- 1977The Open ChampionshipMajor$17,449
- 1977Western Open
- 1977Masters TournamentMajor$40,000
- 1977Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational
- 1977Bing Crosby National Pro-Am
- 1975The Open ChampionshipMajor$16,663
- 1975Byron Nelson Golf Classic
- 1974Western Open
Career earnings over time
Running total, check by check. Orange dots mark wins at the majors and The Players.
Tom Watson's biggest paydays
His ten largest single checks. Click one for the full payout.
Tom Watson's recent results
Watson earned $65,350 from his last 10 starts, August 2013 to April 2016, and made the cut in 3 of them. His best finish was T35 at The Greenbrier Classic, worth $28,698. That is $7K a start, about 24% of his career average of $27K.
| Date | Event | Finish | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-07 | Masters Tournament | MC | $0 |
| 2015-07-16 | The Open | MC | $0 |
| 2015-04-16 | RBC Heritage | T72 | $11,623 |
| 2015-04-09 | Masters Tournament | MC | $0 |
| 2014-08-07 | PGA Championship | MC | $0 |
| 2014-07-17 | The Open Championship | T51 | $25,030 |
| 2014-07-03 | The Greenbrier Classic | T35 | $28,698 |
| 2014-04-17 | RBC Heritage | MC | $0 |
| 2014-04-10 | Masters Tournament | MC | $0 |
| 2013-08-08 | PGA Championship | MC | $0 |
Tom Watson on the DP World Tour and LIV Golf
Prize money from DP World Tour events that aren't co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour (the majors and WGCs are counted on the PGA Tour side), and LIV Golf individual prize money, team prize money and season bonuses. LIV contracts and signing fees aren't public and aren't included.
| Season | Tour | Starts | Wins | Top 10s | Prize money | LIV team & bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | DP World Tour | 1 | 0 | 0 | $8,893 | — | $8,893 |
| 2010 | DP World Tour | 1 | 0 | 1 | $54,677 | — | $54,677 |
How Watson compares
Players just above and below him in career prize money. Full ranking →
Top earners from USA
Tom Watson earnings FAQ
How much has Tom Watson earned in his career?
Tom Watson has earned $10,839,915 in official PGA Tour prize money from 1974–2016, or $10,871,915 including FedEx Cup bonuses. His DP World Tour and LIV Golf earnings are shown separately on this page. Endorsements aren't included.
How many PGA Tour events has Tom Watson won?
39 wins from 400 starts, including 8 majors.
What was Tom Watson's best season?
1998, with $976,585.
What is Tom Watson's biggest paycheck?
$732,603 for finishing 2 at the British Open Championship.
How much does Tom Watson earn per tournament?
$27,100 per start on average, counting missed cuts.
What are Tom Watson's career earnings in today's dollars?
Adjusted for inflation, Tom Watson's $10,839,915 in official prize money is worth about $30,987,019 in 2026 dollars, counting each season's earnings at that year's prices.
How much has Tom Watson won at the Masters?
$821,350 from 43 appearances.
How much has Tom Watson earned on all tours?
$10,903,485 in prize money across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf.