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Show him the money

Duval earns $900,000 payday for win

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Posted: Sunday March 28, 1999 08:09 PM

Money player: Duval may not end up with the full $900,000, but he'll pocket more than chump change. Jonathan Ferrey/Allsport

By Michael DiRocco
Times-Union sports writer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH -- David Duval won The Players Championship Sunday, and along with the prestige of beating most of the world's best golfers, he picks up one of the biggest winner's check -- $900,000 -- of any tournament on the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour will deposit the $900,000 into Duval's bank account Monday morning, but he won't actually see that total. In fact, once the government takes its share, his caddie is paid, and several other miscellaneous charges are paid, Duval will pocket roughly half of the prize amount.

The Federal government, according to Fred Slaveski, a tax preparer for H&R Block, will have to be paid $334,833 -- a flat $88,700 fee plus 39.6 percent of the amount of Duval's earning in excess of $278,450, which is $246,133 -- leaving Duval with $565,167.

Duval's caddie -- Mitch Knox -- probably will receive the standard 10 percent cut of the winnings ($90,000), decreasing Duval's total to $475,167. Out of that amount there are several miscellaneous fees, such as tips, that total roughly $100, leaving Duval with a grand total of $475,067 for winning the Players by two strokes over Scott Gump.

And even though that's roughly half of the original $900,000, it's still not bad for four days work. Henry Hughes, the senior vice president of Tournament Business Affairs/Championship Management, said tournament organizers are proud of the high payout -- the field spits a $5 million purse -- but don't make an issue of the money, although it does play a small role in a golfer's decision to compete here.

"We think that the purse is appropriate for an event of this stature," Hughes said. "I think when all players evaluate tournaments, there's several factors involved. Certainly the caliber of the golf course, the schedule and how it might pertain to their personal schedule and family commitments, and how they performed at that event in the past. An additional factor is obviously the purse. These are professional athletes who receive no compensation other than the dollars earned while competing.

"It [the prize money] is certainly not the deciding issue in playing an event, but a significant factor."

 

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Duval wins TPC by two strokes, takes over No. 1 spot Players Championship Scores
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