Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods earned $10.5 million in tournament purses on the U.S. PGA Tour this year, his third-best season since turning professional in 1996.
Woods, who entered 2009 following reconstructive knee surgery, won six tournaments and finished in the top 10 in 14 of 17 events, including three of four in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He topped the PGA Tour money list for the ninth season, this time without winning one of golf’s four majors.
“The whole year was an unknown,” Woods said yesterday after finishing second to Phil Mickelson at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. “I didn’t know how the knee would respond. To play as well as I have the entire year is something I’m very proud of.”
The 33-year-old Woods has earned $92.9 million during his career and another $20 million in bonus money for twice winning the FedEx Cup. Yesterday’s second-place finish at the U.S. PGA Tour’s finale allowed him to win the FedEx Cup title for the second time in three years.
Vijay Singh is second on the career earnings list with almost $62 million in prize money. He made a $10 million bonus in 2008 by winning the FedEx Cup when Woods cut his season short to have surgery on his knee. Mickelson is third in career earnings with $55.9 million.
Woods won $10.9 million in purses in 2007 and $10.6 million in 2005.
Following are the PGA Tour’s money leaders for 2009 through the Tour Championship.