The 20 highest-paid golfers on the PGA Tour

By Sam Belden From Business Insider

The 2016-17 PGA Tour season is in the books, and many of the world’s top golfers will have healthy deposits to make as they head home for the brief offseason.

Justin Thomas, for example, just earned $10 million for winning the season-long FedEx Cup, the single biggest payday in golf. At the U.S. Open, the purse has swelled to a whopping $12 million, and the Masters, at $11 million, isn’t far behind. With so much money in the game, it’s no surprise that the top players pile up staggering sums by the end of each season.

Below, check out our breakdown of the top 10* highest-paid golfers on the PGA Tour. The rankings were based on prize money from official events and FedEx Cup earnings.

10. Kevin Kisner
Cliff Hawkins/Getty
Age: 33

Earnings: $5,056,936

Adjusted scoring average rank: 35th

Top finishes in 2016-17: Dean & DeLuca Invitational – Win / Zurich Classic – 2nd / Arnold Palmer Invitational – T2

One thing to know: Kisner’s short game skills and no-frills demeanor make him popular with fans, but he’s not a favorite at his home course, Palmetto Golf Club in South Carolina. He and his friends once starred in a Vice Sports video that featured

golf cart races and plenty of beer, leading to a suspension from the club.

9. Brooks Koepka
Streeter Lecka/Getty
Age: 27

Earnings: $6,112,397

Adjusted scoring average rank: 14th

Top finishes in 2016-17: U.S. Open – Win / Valero Texas Open – 2nd / Shriners Hospitals for Children Open – 2nd

One thing to know: Koepka is one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, as well as one of the least forthcoming in the media room. With that combination of traits, it makes sense that Dustin Johnson is a good friend and frequent practice partner.

8. Xander Schauffele
Kevin C. Cox/Getty
Age: 23

Earnings: $6,312,674

Adjusted scoring average rank: 27th

Top finishes in 2016-17: Tour Championship – Win / Greenbrier Classic – Win / U.S. Open – T5

One thing to know: Schauffele was really feeling it towards the end of the season, posting eight top-20 finishes over his final 11 starts. On Sunday, he became the first rookie ever to win the Tour Championship, rising to the 32nd spot in the world rankings in the process.

7. Marc Leishman
Gregory Shamus/Getty
Age: 33

Earnings: $6,666,391

Adjusted scoring average rank: 4th

Top finishes in 2016-17: BMW Championship – Win / Arnold Palmer Invitational – Win / Dell Technologies Championship – 3rd

One thing to know: With four major top 10s over the last five years, Leishman plays his best golf when the spotlight is at its brightest. He proved that again in 2017, winning two of the more prestigious events on the schedule.

6. Rickie Fowler
Sam Greenwood/Getty
Age: 28

Earnings: $6,783,197

Adjusted scoring average rank: 2nd

Top finishes in 2016-17: Honda Classic – Win / Memorial Tournament – T2 / BMW Championship – T2

One thing to know: He may have four PGA Tour victories to his name, but Fowler is a true Renaissance man. The California native surfs, rides dirt bikes, and even sings in his spare time.

5. Jon Rahm
Stacy Revere/Getty
Age: 22

Earnings: $7,123,248

Adjusted scoring average rank: 8th

Top finishes in 2016-17: Farmers Insurance Open – 1st / WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – 2nd / Dean & DeLuca Invitational – T2

One thing to know: Since turning professional in June 2016, Rahm has enjoyed one of the most meteoric rises in the history of golf. The Spaniard closed out this season with four consecutive top 10s, rising to No. 5 in the world despite playing in far fewer events than most of his elite peers.

4. Hideki Matsuyama
Sam Greenwood/Getty
Age: 25

Earnings: $8,980,570

Adjusted scoring average rank: 10th

Top finishes in 2016-17: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational – Win / WGC-HSBC Champions – Win / Waste Management Phoenix Open – Win

One thing to know: Matsuyama fell just short of becoming the first Japanese player to win a men’s major, finishing four strokes behind Brooks Koepka at the U.S. Open in June. With a top-11 finish at the Masters in each of the last three years, that drought may come to an end soon enough.

3. Dustin Johnson
Kevin C. Cox/Getty
Age: 33

Earnings: $10,232,193

Adjusted scoring average rank: 7th

Top finishes in 2016-17: WGC-Mexico Championship – Win / WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Win / The Northern Trust – Win

One thing to know: While he wasn’t quite good enough to earn Player of the Year honors, Johnson did manage to take control of the top spot in the world rankings in 2017. His vast earnings are in spite of a poor year at the majors — he didn’t notch a top 50 until the last possible opportunity, the PGA Championship in August.

2. Jordan Spieth
Gregory Shamus/Getty
Age: 24

Earnings: $12,433,033

Adjusted scoring average rank: 1st

Top finishes in 2016-17: The Open Championship – Win / Travelers Championship – Win / AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Win

One thing to know: Spieth may not have won the most money in 2017, but he did provide the most electrifying moments. His playoff win at the Travelers Championship was an instant classic, featuring a thrilling hole out from a greenside bunker and this epic celebration. Less than a month later, he delivered one of the most stirring major performances in history at The Open Championship, playing the final five holes in five-under to beat Matt Kuchar by three.

1. Justin Thomas
Kevin C. Cox/Getty
Age: 24

Earnings: $19,921,560

Adjusted scoring average rank: 3rd

Top finishes in 2016-17: PGA Championship – Win / Dell Technologies Championship – Win / Sony Open – Win

One thing to know: Thomas didn’t just lead the PGA Tour in wins and earnings in 2017 — he did it in style. The Kentucky native shot the seventh round of 59 in PGA Tour history in January, as well as a record-setting round of nine-under at the U.S. Open in June. However, he saved his best for last, taking the PGA Championship in August and the FedEx Cup in September. No wonder he’s enjoyed such a fast rise to stardom.

*NOTE: Original article lists 20. See link below.

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