PGA Tour Money List Trends

With the PGA Tour restarting on the 3 January with the Tournament of Champions we can start looking forward to the 2013 season. It is an appropriate time to consider some long-term antepost bets and one of the most popular markets is the Money List leader.

From 1999 to 2009 it was a closed shop, Vijah Singh and Tiger Woods were the only two winners in an 11-year period. Nowadays the Money List is much more open; the best players from around the world ply their trade on the PGA Tour and leaderboards have a much more international feel. Looking at the last five winners some noticeable trends stand out.

Must win at least one tour title
It is almost impossible to top the money list without winning at least once on tour. In the last five seasons Matt Kuchar was the ‘poorest’ winner, amassing a mere $4.9million but he still managed to record one victory.

Major victory isn’t a prerequisite
You would assume the large purse that comes with a Major triumph is essential in the pursuit of the money list but that isn’t the case. In the last five years, only Rory McIlory topped the earnings charts and won a major in the same year.

Minimum of eight top-10 finishes
Finishing consistently high on the leaderboard is important, the last five players to top the money list recorded at least eight top-10s during their victorious seasons. 

Good record in the Playoffs
The last four tournaments of the season have big prize funds on offer. Success in the Playoffs can make the difference when shooting for the money list. The last five winners recorded at least two top-10s during the Playoffs.

Players that fit all four trends:

Rory McIlroy 3/1 (Bet365)
Tiger Woods 4/1 (Stan James)
Luke Donald 14/1 (Bet365)
Dustin Johnson 18/1 (Skybet)
Ryan Moore 80/1 (Bet365)