How Much Do Golfers Make for Winning a Tournament on the PGA Tour?
Golfers face a much different pay scale than all other athletes. Whereas NFL and NBA players are paid a set amount every year, golfers earn money based specifically on how well they play. If you don’t win a tournament or place inside the top-20 a few times every season, you won’t be making a ton of dough on the PGA Tour. However, winning just a few times in a single season can set you up financially for life. It’s a unique and sometimes cutthroat system, but how much do golfers earn for winning a tournament on the PGA Tour?
PGA Tour purses range from $3 million to $15 million
Every PGA Tour event is wildly different than the last. Each of them is held at a different golf course around the world. The field of players, the final score, and even the scoring system can change from tournament to tournament.
This is also true for the purses. Every PGA Tour event has a different amount of prize money available to distribute to the highest finishers. The purses in 2019-20 range from $3 million all the way up to $15 million per tournament.
For a large majority of PGA Tour events, the winner will receive over $1 million. Only five tournaments award the winner under $1 million. Most winners on Tour will receive between $1 and $2 million, but a few of the larger tournaments award the winner over $2 million.
What is the largest purse on Tour and how much does the winner get?
Most golf fans would think the four majors would feature the highest purses on the PGA Tour, but that actually isn’t the case. The Players at TPC Sawgrass has the highest purse on the PGA Tour at $15 million.
The winner of The Players receives $2.7 million. Not too shabby for four days of work.
The U.S. Open follows behind The Players with a $12.5 million purse, with the winner taking home $2.25 million. The Masters, PGA Championship, and Open Championship round out the top five.
Purses on the PGA Tour have increased dramatically over the years. Back in 1982, the combined total of all PGA Tour events was $15 million. Now, there’s a single tournament with a purse just as large.
The winner of the Tour Championship gets $15 million
The Tour Championship wasn’t included above because it’s not a typical golf tournament. Only 25 players get to compete in the final event of the PGA Tour season, so there’s less competition and most players on Tour can’t even make it that far.
However, if you do make it to East Lake at the end of the golf season, you can cash in the biggest payday available on the PGA Tour. The Tour Championship has a massive purse of $46 million. The eventual winner will cash in $15 million.
Rory McIlroy is the reigning champion at East Lake, and Tiger Woods took home the title a year before him. McIlroy, Woods, and Phil Mickelson are the only current golfers to win multiple Tour Championships during their careers.
Golf returns this weekend at Colonial CC for the Charles Schwab Challenge. McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Brooks Koepka highlight the stacked field. The winner of the event will take home $1.35 million.
All financial stats courtesy of The Golf News Net
