Order Of Merit Winners

The European Tour's money list was known as the "Order of Merit" until 2009, when it was replaced with the greatly inferior sounding but much more profitable "Race to Dubai." It's final incarnation was calculated in euro, although around half of the events had prize funds which were fixed in other currencies, mainly British pounds or U.S. dollars. In these instances, the amounts were converted into euro at the exchange rate for the week that the tournament was played. The winner of the Order of Merit received the Harry Vardon Trophy, not to be confused with the Vardon Trophy awarded by the PGA of America.

Year	Order of Merit leader	Country	Earnings (€)
2008	Robert Karlsson	Sweden	2,732,748
2007	Justin Rose	England	2,944,945
2006	Pádraig Harrington	Ireland	2,489,337
2005	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	2,794,223
2004	Ernie Els	South Africa	4,061,905
2003	Ernie Els	South Africa	2,975,374
2002	Retief Goosen	South Africa	2,360,128
2001	Retief Goosen	South Africa	2,862,806
2000	Lee Westwood	England	3,125,147
1999	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	1,822,880

Up until 1998 and the advance of the infernal Euro, the Order of Merit was calculated in the Queen's Pounds sterling.

Year	Order of Merit leader	Country	Earnings (£)
1998	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	993,077
1997	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	798,948
1996	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	875,146
1995	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	835,051
1994	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	762,720
1993	Colin Montgomerie	Scotland	613,683
1992	Nick Faldo	England	708,522
1991	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	545,354
1990	Ian Woosnam	Wales	574,166
1989	Ronan Rafferty	Northern Ireland	400,311
1988	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	451,560
1987	Ian Woosnam	Wales	253,717
1986	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	242,209
1985	Sandy Lyle	Scotland	162,553
1984	Bernhard Langer	Germany	139,344
1983	Nick Faldo	England	119,416
1982	Greg Norman	Australia	66,406
1981	Bernhard Langer	Germany	81,036
1980	Sandy Lyle	Scotland	66,060
1979	Sandy Lyle	Scotland	49,233
1978	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	54,348
1977	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	46,436
1976	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	39,504
1975	Dale Hayes	South Africa	20,508

Before 1975 the Order of Merit was based on a points system, so it was not necessarily headed by the golfer who won the most money - this is a guess but I'm presuming that Peter Oosterhuis was not in favour of the change in format...

Year	Order of Merit leader	Country	Earnings (£)	Leading money winner	Country	Earnings (£)
1974	Peter Oosterhuis	England	32,127	Peter Oosterhuis	England	32,127
1973	Peter Oosterhuis	England	17,455	Tony Jacklin	England	24,840
1972	Peter Oosterhuis	England	18,525	Bob Charles	New Zealand	18,538
1971	Peter Oosterhuis	England	9,270	Gary Player	South Africa	11,281