Rory McIlroy may have just completed one of the best seasons of the past decade, but it wasn’t the most lucrative.
The Northern Irishman’s victory Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship pushed his official tournament earnings on the European Tour to €4,738,026 ($6,141,218).
However, in 2009, the European Tour began factoring in money from the Race to Dubai bonus pool into players’ earnings, so the tour recognizes McIlroy has having earned €5,519,117 ($7,153,633) this season. (The PGA Tour does not add FedEx Cup bonus money to its yearly earnings.)
McIlroy earned $8,047,952 in 16 PGA Tour starts. That’s not in dispute.
But when he stormed back to win in Dubai on Sunday, it was reported that McIlroy had earned a combined $11,953,586 to become the all-time leading single-season money earner after combining both PGA and European tour earnings.
Not true.
In fact, the world No. 1 did not win the most money in a season on the world money list; the most tournament prize money in a season on the European Tour; or the most combined money on the PGA and European tours, either in tournaments alone or including bonus money.
According to the Golf Channel research department, here is how the earnings break down:
Highest earnings on world money list (combined money won in a year in tournaments on the official world tours):
Tiger Woods, 2005: $11,515,939
Tiger Woods, 2006: $11,141,827
Vijay Singh, 2004: $11,104,892
Tiger Woods, 2007: $11,002,706
Tiger Woods, 2009: $10,948,054
Rory McIlroy, 2012: $10,947,717
Most money won in a season in European Tour events (does not include Race to Dubai bonus pool money):
Tiger Woods, 2000: €5,426,715
Tiger Woods, 2006: €5,264,383
Tiger Woods, 2005: €5,022,798
Ernie Els, 2004: €4,924,715
Rory McIlroy, 2012: €4,738,026
Most money won in a year, combining PGA and European tours (tournament earnings only):
Tiger Woods, 2005: $11,183,574
Vijay Singh, 2004: $11,104,892
Tiger Woods, 2007: $11,002,706
Tiger Woods, 2006: $10,951,972
Rory McIlroy, 2012: $10,947,717
Tiger Woods, 2009: $10,698,163
Most money won in a season, combining PGA and European tours (includes season-ending bonus money):
Tiger Woods, 2007: $21,002,706
Tiger Woods, 2009: $20,948,054
Vijay Singh, 2008: $16,846,707
Brandt Snedeker, 2012: $15,203,943
Rory McIlroy, 2012: $14,947,717
Jim Furyk, 2010: $14,809,622