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It’s no secret that you can make a lot of money as a card-holding PGA Tour pro.
For example, in season 2017/18, the top 114 on the order of merit earned at least $1m, whilst the top ten players on the career money list have coined in almost $650m combined,
Nice work if you can get it.
Still, every golfer worth their salt wants to be judged by one thing above all else: victories.
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To that end, spare a thought for Brian Davis.
The Englishman holds the dubious distinction of being the highest earner in PGA Tour history without an official PGA Tour win to his name.
The 44-year-old, who won twice on the European Tour before heading Stateside, is 132nd on the PGA Tour career money list, with total earnings of more than $13.3m. However, unlike the 131 players above him, Davis has never picked up a winner’s cheque.
He has made over 350 starts since he joined the tour in 2005 and has had numerous chances to win, most notably at the 2010 Verizon Heritage. After finishing the regulation 72 holes on 13-under-par and tied with Jim Furyk, the Englishman called a two-stroke penalty on himself for an accidental rules infraction in a bunker on the first play-off hole, effectively conceding defeat.
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Afterwards, Furyk spoke of his respect for the way Davis handled the incident.
“To be there and be in the battle and have an opportunity to win the golf tournament, and then have to call a penalty on yourself has got to be extremely disappointing,” he said. “I admire him for what he did. It’s a testament to our game and the people that play on the tour.”
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The very next player on the career money list after Davis – American Briny Baird – is also winless, with earnings of $13.2m. The rest of the “top five” is rounded out by Jeff Overton (136th on the career money list), Brendon De Jonge (156th) and Graham DeLaet (162nd).
Davis’ equivalent on the European Tour, incidentally, is Nick O’Hern. The Australian has earned €5,908,891 from 180 winless starts. That’s narrowly ahead of David Drysdale, who has made €5,410,920 from 471 starts without winning.
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