Purpose: This study aims to empirically identify the factors that influence prize money across major professional golf tours and to explore how the significance of core technical elements—driving, approach, short game, and putting—varies based on the specific context of each tour (including environmental, task-based, and individual constraints).
Method: We utilized a comprehensive dataset consisting 51,056 individual performance records from the top 100 players across four major professional tours: PGA, KPGA, LPGA, and KLPGA. This dataset spaned a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. We conducted multiple regression analysis on total prize money to assess the statistical significance and relative impact of five key performance metrics. Additionally, we examined 10-year trends using dynamic visualizations.
Results: The predictive model demonstrated statistical significance across all four tours and significantly explained the variance in prize money. Green in Regulation (GIR) and Average Putts were confirmed as the most powerful and consistently significant determinants across all tours, highlighting the universal importance of approach and finishing skills. However, Driver Average Distance showed a context-specific effect: it served as a significant positive determinant in the PGA and LPGA tours, while its influence was lower or statistically non-significant in the KPGA tour.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the technical factors contributing to high prize money are highly context-specific. Although putting and approach accuracy are universally important, the relative strategic value of power (driving distance) varies significantly based on course design and competitive strategy. This finding is expected to provide an empirical basis for developing customized, evidence-based performance strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of each professional tour.