The 1997–98 Pro Tour season was the third season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 30 August 1997 with Grand Prix Toronto, and ended on 16 August 1998 with the conclusion of 1998 World Championship in Seattle. The season consisted of thirteen Grand Prix, and five Pro Tours, located in Chicago, Mainz, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. At the end of the season Jon Finkel from the United States was awarded the Pro Player of the Year title.

Grand Prix – Toronto, Copenhagen

GP Toronto (30–31 August)

1. 🇺🇸 Brian Kibler
2. 🇺🇸 Erik Lauer
3. 🇨🇦 Tony Tsai
4. 🇺🇸 Matt Place
5. 🇺🇸 Dan Silberman
6. 🇺🇸 Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz
7. 🇺🇸 Mike Turian
8. 🇺🇸 Bruce Cowley GP Copenhagen (6–7 September)
9. Karsten Hoppe
10. 🇳🇴 Sigurd Eskeland
11. 🇸🇪 David Linder
12. 🇸🇪 Thomas Lindohf
13. 🇸🇪 Kristian Hellman
14. Jesper Thrane
15. 🇸🇪 Martin Jordö
16. 🇸🇪 Frederik Thorstensson

Pro Tour – Chicago (10–12 October 1997)

Attending a Pro Tour for the first time, Randy Buehler defeated David Mills in the finals to win the inaugural Pro Tour of the 1997–98 season. Olle Råde's final eight appearance made him the first player to reach the Top 8 four times.

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 324 Format: Extended

Final standings

Grand Prix – Como

GP Como (8–9 November)

1. 🇫🇷 Michaël Debard
2. 🇨🇿 Lukas Ladra
3. Roger Leu
4. Michael Suwald
5. 🇮🇹 Luca Chiera
6. 🇮🇪 David Kearney
7. 🇫🇷 Pierre Vandercamere
8. 🇫🇷 Gilles Martinau

Pro Tour – Mainz (5–7 December 1997)

Eventual Pro Player of the year Paul McCabe won Pro Tour Dallas. The Canadian defeated Jason Zila from the US in the final. Olle Råde had his third Top 8 appearance while playing only his fourth Pro Tour.

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 291 Format: Rochester Draft (Tempest)

Final standings

Grand Prix – San Francisco, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Lyon, Melbourne

Pro Tour – Los Angeles (6–8 March 1998)

David Price won Pro Tour Los Angeles. In the finals he defeated Ben Rubin, who thus made it to the second place at his first Pro Tour attendance.

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 342 Format: Block Constructed (Tempest)

Final standings

Grand Prix – Stockholm

Pro Tour – New York (17–19 April 1998)

In an all-American Top 8 Jon Finkel won his first Pro Tour. Mark Justice reached his fourth and as yet last final eight.

Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Format: Booster Draft (Tempest-Stronghold)

Top 8

Final standings

Grand Prix – Atlanta, Antwerp, Zurich, Indianapolis

1998 World Championships – Seattle (12–16 August 1998)

Brian Selden defeated fellow American Ben Rubin to become the 1998 World Champion. He played a Control-Combo deck revolving around. The Top 8 was one of the most star-studded final eights ever, with all players making at least one other Top 8 appearance, and four of them later becoming Hall of Famers. The US national team, consisting of Matt Linde, Mike Long, Bryce Currence, and Jon Finkel won its third team title. Long thus won his third team title, too, as he had been precisely on those teams which had won the title.

Tournament data

Players: 203 Format: Standard, Rochester Draft (Mirage-Visions-Weatherlight), Extended Individual formats: Booster Draft (Tempest-Stronghold-Exodus), Standard, Tempest Block Constructed (Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus) Team formats: 4-Person Team Sealed (4 5th Edition Starter + 4 5th Edition Booster) – Swiss; Constructed (2x Tempest Block Constructed + 2x Standard) – Finals

Top 8

Final standings

National team competition

Pro Player of the year final standings

After the World Championship Jon Finkel was awarded the Pro Player of the year title.