The money list was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in U.S. dollars.[3][4] The top 10 players on the money list earned status to play on the 1997 PGA Tour.[5][4]
^The number in parentheses after each winner's name is the number of Nike Tour events they had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Nike Tour members. It is rare for someone to accumulate many wins on the Nike Tour as success at this level usually leads to promotion to the PGA Tour.
^ ab"Cink takes Nike title". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. October 21, 1996. p. 8 (3B in paper). Retrieved September 3, 2023 – via Google News Archive. ...earned $45,000 for his third victory of the year to push his tour-record total to $251,699. The top 10 on the money list qualified for the 1997 PGA Tour.
^Dewalt, Gregg (October 23, 1996). "Cink was simply dominant". Times Daily. Florence, Alabama. p. 13 (3D in paper). Retrieved September 3, 2023 – via Google News Archive. Winning the Nike Tour Championship by four strokes over David Berganio guaranteed Cink of Player of the Year honors.