Jordan Spieth career earnings top $13m after Masters win
Winning a first major championship isn't about the money. It's about the realisation of an unshakeable dream, the pay-off for all those sacrificed hours on the green or the driving range.
Still, although the prized green jacket is the true symbol of prestige Jordan Spieth was after this weekend, the $1.8m (£1.23m) he picked up for his first major championship title of his career won't be dismissed either.
With that pay chheque, the native Texan has become the current season's PGA Tour money leader having already won just short of $5m from his exploits on the golf course this year. With $4.9m made from 10 events, the dominant Spieth has taken home 38.1 per cent of the $12.8m he would have earned had he won every single tournament. No one else on the tour has a higher percentage of potential prize money won.
There could be much more to come, too. The Masters purse is a healthy $10m, and there is ample opportunity to Spieth win similar sized riches up for grabs at the Players Championship and the PGA Championship later this year.
Spieth's career earnings now exceed $13m. Not bad for a 21-year-old, but he still has some way to go before catching the eye-popping sums amassed by seasoned pros such as Tiger Woods ($110m), Phil Mickelson ($77m) and Vijay Singh ($69m) – the leading career earners currently on the tour.
After equalling Tiger Woods' record low score of 18 under par at Augusta – set at the same age of 21 – you'd be brave to bet against Spieth eventually exceeding the total currently held by the legendary golfer.
Spieth has won his $13.2m from a total of 68 professional events competed in – meaning he is making money at a faster rate than Woods was at the same point in his career. Although not a fair comparison considering purses have swelled since Woods was a whippersnapper himself, the veteran had earned $11.3m after 70 events in 1999.
Rory McIlroy – who has now arguably been joined by Spieth as the pre-eminent force in golf – compares more favourably. The Northern Irishman has competed in just 33 more events than Spieth but has earned over $10m more. McIlroy had hit the $13m after just 38 professional events.
