| Duration | January 7, 1971 – December 12, 1971 |
|---|---|
| Number of official events | 44 |
| Most wins |  Lee Trevino (6) |
| Money list | Jack Nicklaus |
| PGA Player of the Year | Lee Trevino |
← 1970 1972 → | |
The 1971 PGA Tour was the 56th season of the PGA Tour, the main professional golf tour in the United States. It was also the third season since separating from the PGA of America.
At the Colonial National Invitation, Dave Hill shot rounds of 77-85 to miss the cut. On his last hole, Hill threw a ball out of a sand trap.[1] Hill was disqualified but it was for his signing a scorecard with an incorrect score on it.[2] When Hill went to play in his next tournament, the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, Hill was informed that he was being fined $500 for conduct unbecoming a professional golfer.[3] Hill was required to pay the fine before teeing it up in the tournament. He did so, but less than a week later, Hill filed a one-million dollar antitrust suit against the PGA Tour.[4] In response, the tour put Hill on probation for one year.[5]
The following table lists official events during the 1971 season.[6]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse (US$) |
Winner(s)[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 10 | Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open | California | 110,000 | Bob Lunn (5) |
|
| Jan 17 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | California | 135,000 | Tom Shaw (3) |
Pro-Am |
| Jan 24 | Phoenix Open Invitational | Arizona | 125,000 | Miller Barber (6) |
|
| Jan 31 | Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational | California | 150,000 | George Archer (7) |
|
| Feb 7 | Hawaiian Open | Hawaii | 200,000 | Tom Shaw (4) |
|
| Apr 11 | United Air Lines – Ontario Open | California | 25,000 | Fred Marti (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| Feb 14 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | California | 140,000 | Arnold Palmer (58) |
Pro-Am |
| Feb 22 | Tucson Open Invitational | Arizona | 110,000 | J. C. Snead (1) |
|
| Feb 28 | PGA Championship | Florida | 200,000 | Jack Nicklaus (34) |
Major championship |
| Mar 7 | Doral-Eastern Open Invitational | Florida | 150,000 | J. C. Snead (2) |
|
| Mar 14 | Florida Citrus Invitational | Florida | 150,000 | Arnold Palmer (59) |
|
| Mar 21 | Greater Jacksonville Open | Florida | 125,000 |  Gary Player (14) |
|
| Mar 28 | National Airlines Open Invitational | Florida | 200,000 | Gary Player (15) |
|
| Apr 4 | Greater Greensboro Open | North Carolina | 190,000 | Buddy Allin (1) |
|
| Apr 11 | Masters Tournament | Georgia | 125,000 | Charles Coody (3) |
Major championship |
| Apr 11 | Magnolia Classic | Mississippi | 35,000 | Roy Pace (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| Apr 18 | Monsanto Open | Florida | 150,000 | Gene Littler (23) |
|
| Apr 25 | Tournament of Champions | California | 165,000 | Jack Nicklaus (35) |
Winners-only event |
| Apr 25 | Tallahassee Open Invitational | Florida | 60,000 | Lee Trevino (6) |
Alternate event |
| May 2 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | Louisiana | 125,000 | Frank Beard (11) |
|
| May 9 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | Texas | 125,000 | Jack Nicklaus (36) |
|
| May 16 | Houston Champions International | Texas | 125,000 | Hubert Green (1) |
|
| May 16 | East Ridge Classic | Louisiana | 25,000 | Wilf Homenuik (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| May 23 | Colonial National Invitation | Texas | 125,000 | Gene Littler (24) |
Invitational |
| May 23 | Maumelle Open | Arkansas | 25,000 | Tom Ulozas (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| May 30 | Danny Thomas Memphis Classic | Tennessee | 175,000 | Lee Trevino (7) |
|
| Jun 6 | Atlanta Classic | Georgia | 125,000 | Gardner Dickinson (7) |
|
| Jun 13 | Kemper Open | North Carolina | 150,000 | Tom Weiskopf (3) |
|
| Jun 13 | Kemper–Asheville Open Invitational | North Carolina | 25,000 | Charles Owens (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| Jun 21 | U.S. Open | Pennsylvania | 190,000 | Lee Trevino (8) |
Major championship |
| Jun 27 | Cleveland Open | Ohio | 150,000 | Bobby Mitchell (1) |
|
| Jul 4 | Canadian Open | Canada | 150,000 | Lee Trevino (9) |
|
| Jul 10 | The Open Championship | England | £45,000 | Lee Trevino (10) |
Major championship[c] |
| Jul 11 | Greater Milwaukee Open | Wisconsin | 125,000 | Dave Eichelberger (1) |
|
| Jul 18 | Western Open | Illinois | 150,000 |  Bruce Crampton (9) |
|
| Jul 25 | Westchester Classic | New York | 250,000 | Arnold Palmer (60) |
|
| Aug 2 | National Team Championship | Pennsylvania | 200,000 | Jack Nicklaus (37) and Arnold Palmer (61) |
Team event |
| Aug 8 | American Golf Classic | Ohio | 150,000 | Jerry Heard (1) |
|
| Aug 15 | Massachusetts Classic | Massachusetts | 165,000 | Dave Stockton (5) |
|
| Aug 22 | IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic | Pennsylvania | 150,000 | Tom Weiskopf (4) |
|
| Aug 29 | Liggett & Myers Open Match Play Championship | North Carolina | 175,000 | DeWitt Weaver (1) |
New tournament Limited-field event |
| Sep 6 | Greater Hartford Open Invitational | Connecticut | 110,000 | George Archer (8) |
|
| Sep 12 | Southern Open Invitational | Georgia | 100,000 | Johnny Miller (1) |
|
| Sep 19 | Quad Cities Open Invitational | Iowa | 25,000 | Deane Beman (n/a) |
New tournament Second Tour[b] |
| Sep 26 | Robinson Open Golf Classic | Illinois | 100,000 | Labron Harris Jr. (1) |
|
| Oct 24 | Kaiser International Open Invitational | California | 150,000 | Billy Casper (48) |
|
| Oct 31 | Sahara Invitational | Nevada | 135,000 | Lee Trevino (11) |
|
| Nov 21 | Azalea Open Invitational | North Carolina | 35,000 | George Johnson (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| Nov 27 | Sea Pines Open Invitational | South Carolina | 30,000 | Charlie Sifford (n/a) |
Second Tour[b] |
| Nov 28 | Sea Pines Heritage Classic | South Carolina | 110,000 | Hale Irwin (1) |
Invitational |
| Dec 6 | Walt Disney World Open Invitational | Florida | 150,000 | Jack Nicklaus (38) |
New tournament |
| Dec 12 | Bahamas National Open | Bahamas | 130,000 | Bob Goalby (11) |
The following events were sanctioned by the PGA Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official.
| Date | Tournament | Location | Purse ($) |
Winner(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18 | Ryder Cup | Missouri | n/a | Team USA
|
Team event |
| Nov 14 | World Cup | Florida | 6,300 | Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino
|
Team event |
| World Cup Individual Trophy | Jack Nicklaus
|
The money list was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in U.S. dollars.[7]
| Position | Player | Prize money ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Nicklaus |
244,491 |
| 2 | Lee Trevino |
231,202 |
| 3 | Arnold Palmer |
209,604 |
| 4 | George Archer |
147,769 |
| 5 | Gary Player |
120,917 |
| 6 | Miller Barber |
117,359 |
| 7 | Jerry Heard |
112,389 |
| 8 | Frank Beard |
112,338 |
| 9 | Dave Eichelberger |
108,312 |
| 10 | Billy Casper |
107,276 |
| Award | Winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| PGA Player of the Year | Lee Trevino |
[8] |
| Scoring leader (Vardon Trophy) | Lee Trevino |
[9] |