Pga/lpga

[GPK]

Originally Posted by pmayjr

Kev,

Wasn't it up to about 10 years ago, that winning 1 Million in a whole season was a big deal? Is Tiger the sole cause of purses sky-rocketing?

Pete, I remember when Curtis Strange was the first player to break $1 million in a single season. That was 1988. Once Tiger came on the scene in 96-97 and the new TV contracts were signed, the purses exploded.

Since 1988 the number of players that have earned over $1 million in a single season.

1988 - 1
1989 - 2
1990 - 2
1991 - 0
1992 - 4
1993 - 5
1994 - 6
1995 - 9
1996 - 9
Let the boom begin
1997 (Tigers first full year) - 18
1998 - 26
1999 - 36
2000 - 45
2001 - 55
2002 - 61
2003 - 72
2004 - 77
2005 - 78
2006 - 93
2007 - 50 players through the mid point of the season.


I know one thing, if I was playing the Tour, I would be sending Tiger a thank you note every week.