Does the Money List Matter?

It's an honest question but I do not have a clear answer.

The PGA Tour tried to make the list completely irrelevant for the FedEx Cup by inventing a points system - basically based off of the money distribution. So, it was sort of relevant to how many FEC points a player received. The money list again matters now in the Fall Series as its benchmarks (30, 70, 125) will determine exemptions and status for the 2008 season.

Even though money is used to determine tournament invitations and tour status, it does not seem to have any real bearing upon determining the quality of a player's season. Consider players like Vijay Singh that have catapulted up to a high place on the money list this year largely on the relative number of tournaments they have played versus their peers. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods outearned Vijay on the average per event. Total money would say that Vijay has had a very solid year, but that's a misnomer.

We currently have a similar situation on the European Tour. Justin Rose is lurking close to the top of the Order of Merit. He has two Euro Tour starts remaining - this week in Portgual and in the closing Volvo Masters. Ernie Els, leader of the OoM, will not be able to play in the Volvo Masters. It's very likely that Rose will win the Order of Merit given the extra starts.

That certainly does not mean that Rose has had a better season than Els. Els clearly is back and is better right now than Rose. If anyone, Padraig Harrington could earn consideration were he to surpass Els on the OoM for Player of the Year because of his Open Championship win. But Rose? No way.

Even still, money can indicate a player's success. Case in point is Lorena Ochoa on the LPGA Tour. She became the first woman to surpass $3 million in earnings in a single LPGA Tour season. While that is a reflection of increased purses and a stronger Tour, it is still a huge achievements. Take into account that Lorena also has more than double the earnings of Suzann Pettersen - #2 on the money list - and you can see just how dominant Lorena is.

So, it seems like the answers is...maybe.