Golf isn’t exactly a young man’s game anymore. Honestly, if you look at the PGA Champions Tour money list, you’ll realize that turning 50 is basically the equivalent of hitting the lottery for some of these guys. We’re talking about massive checks for players who, in any other sport, would have been long retired and yelling at their TV screens. Instead, they’re out there grinding in Phoenix and Hualalai, pocketing millions of dollars while wearing comfortable shoes.
Take Stewart Cink. The guy is 52 and just had a year that would make most PGA Tour pros weep with envy. In 2025, Cink didn't just play well; he dominated the season-long race. He cleared over $3.2 million in official earnings. That's a lot of cash for a "senior" circuit. He capped it all off by winning the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club, shooting a 20-under-par that left everyone else wondering why they even bothered showing up. Cink is now one of only four players to ever win the tournament and the season-long points title in the same calendar year.
The 2025 Champions Tour Money List Leaders
The top of the leaderboard is a mix of legends and guys who found a second life once their hair turned gray. Steven Alker is the poster child for this. Before joining the Champions Tour, Alker was a journeyman. Now? He’s a perennial threat. He finished the 2025 season with roughly $2.4 million in the bank. He’s consistent, kinda quiet, and absolutely lethal with a putter.
Then you have the big names. Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jiménez are still printing money. Jiménez, specifically, had a monster summer in 2025. He banked over a million dollars in June alone by winning the Kaulig Companies Championship and the Principal Charity Classic back-to-back. When you add up his wins and those inevitable top-10 finishes, the "Mechanic" is still one of the highest-paid athletes over 50 on the planet.
Here is how the top of the 2025 earnings shook out:
Stewart Cink led the pack with $3,247,147. Following him was Steven Alker, who secured about $2.44 million. Steve Stricker and Padraig Harrington weren't far behind, with Harrington crossing the $2 million mark despite playing a more limited schedule than some of the other grinders. Ernie Els hovered around $1.6 million, proving that "The Big Easy" still has one of the most profitable swings in history.
🔗 Read more: When is Georgia's next game: The 2026 Bulldog schedule and what to expect
Bernhard Langer: The Undisputed King of the Bank Account
You can't talk about the money list without mentioning Bernhard Langer. The man is 68 years old. Most people his age are worried about their 401k withdrawals; Langer is worried about his lag putting. He holds the record for leading the money list 11 different times. Think about that. Eleven years of being the top dog.
His career earnings on the Champions Tour are north of $38 million. That’s not career earnings from his "regular" PGA Tour days—that’s just what he’s made since turning 50. It’s an absurd level of dominance. Even in 2025, while he didn't grab a win, he still managed 13 top-25 finishes. He’s basically a walking ATM.
Why the Purses are Exploding
Money on the senior circuit has seen a massive jump lately. Why? Because fans actually recognize the names. You might not know the guy who finished 40th on the PGA Tour last week, but you definitely know Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, and Fred Couples. Sponsors like Charles Schwab and American Family Insurance know that, too.
The playoffs are where the real "funny money" happens. During the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs, every dollar earned is converted into two points. This creates a high-stakes environment where a single win in October or November can vault a player from 20th to 5th on the final standings. It’s why you see guys like Richard Green—the lefty from Australia—grinding so hard late in the year. Green finished 2025 with over $1.5 million in points-equivalent earnings, thanks to a massive runner-up finish at the Simmons Bank Championship where he pocketed nearly $200,000 in one weekend.
💡 You might also like: Vince Carter Meme I Got One More: The Story Behind the Internet's Favorite Comeback
The Career Money Leaders (The $20 Million Club)
It’s a short list of people who have made a fortune after 50. Langer is at the top, obviously. But Hale Irwin sits in second with over $27 million. Gil Morgan is third at $20.6 million. Jay Haas is right behind him at nearly $20 million.
These numbers are staggering when you consider that many of these guys played in an era on the regular PGA Tour where a winning check was only $100,000. They’re making more money in their 60s than they did in their prime. It’s a wild reality. Even someone like Angel Cabrera, who made a return to the tour in 2025, managed to grab a $540,000 check for winning the Senior PGA Championship. One week of golf paid for a very nice house.
The Grinders and the "New" Seniors
Every year, a new crop of 50-year-olds joins the fray and messes up the money list for the veterans. We call it "the rookie bump." In 2025, guys like Cameron Percy and Steve Allan made their presence felt. Allan, an Aussie who never had a massive PGA Tour career, won three times on the seniors' side in 2025. He ended up with over $1.4 million.
That’s the beauty of this tour. It’s a meritocracy for the aged. If you can still compress the ball and your back holds up, you can make seven figures.
📖 Related: Finding the Best Texas Longhorns iPhone Wallpaper Without the Low-Res Junk
How to Track the Money Yourself
If you're looking to keep tabs on who’s winning the most cash this season, you need to look at the official PGA Tour Champions "Money/Finishes" stats page. Don't just look at the wins; look at the "Top 10" column. That’s where the real story is. Steven Alker had 18 top-10 finishes in 2025. Eighteen! That is an insane level of consistency that guarantees a massive payout regardless of whether he actually lifts the trophy on Sunday.
To get the most out of following the money list, keep an eye on:
- The Charles Schwab Cup Points: This is the "real" money list that determines the season champion.
- The Major Purses: The Senior PGA, U.S. Senior Open, and The Senior Open have significantly higher payouts.
- The End-of-Year Bonus: The top five finishers in the Schwab Cup race split a $2.1 million bonus in the form of a tax-deferred annuity.
The reality of the PGA Champions Tour is that the competition is getting younger and faster. You have guys coming off the regular tour who are still fit and still hitting it 300 yards. This is driving the prize money up and making the money list more competitive than it was ten years ago.
For those interested in the financial side of the game, watch the early-season events in 2026. The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai usually sets the tone. If a player grabs a win there, they've basically secured their card and a high ranking on the money list for the rest of the year.
The best way to leverage this information is to track the "earnings per start" metric. It tells you who is actually playing the best golf, not just who is playing the most tournaments. In 2025, Stewart Cink averaged over $154,000 per event. If you can find a player with a high average who is entering a course that fits their style—like a great putter going to a course with fast greens—you’re looking at the next big jump on the money list.