PHILIP WALTON was the only Irishman to make the top 100 in the world money list for 1995. In claiming 94th position, however, he had the distinction of finishing the season one place higher than Seve Ballesteros, a colleague on the victorious European Ryder Cup team at Oak Hill.
Walton's world prize money amounted to $482,905 of which $108,336, or 22 per cent, was earned outside the European Tour. This would have come from his debut appearance in the USPGA Championship and end of season events such as the Sarazen World Open and the World Cup, quite apart from two tournaments in Japan.
It is a modest looking reward, however, compared to the $2,746,340 by US Open champion Corey Pavin, the biggest earner of 1995. But even that figure was some way short of the all time record of $2,862,854 earned by Ernie Els in 1994 when he, too, won the US Open.
In terms of world money, the most successful Irish golfer in recent years has been, almost predictably, Ronan Rafferty. After his last tournament victory, the 1993 Austrian Open, he finished that season in 12th place in the European Order of Merit and was 61st in the World list with earnings of $537,124. Incidentally, Walton didn't make even the top 300 in 1993.
Meanwhile, American players dominate the current list, claiming no fewer than 25 of the top 50 places in which there are nine Japanese. Barry Lane is the leading Englishman in 13th position (£1,585,140).
Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, winner of the US, Women's Open, led the women's world money list with $1,043,121 which is hardly surprising, given that she became the first player to lead the US, European and Australasian money lists in the same year.
. David Feherty is to make an unexpectedly early return to the game. The Ulsterman is scheduled to appear in the Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship in Johannesburg on February 15th-18th and the FNB Players Championship in Durban the following week.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)