Biggest prize pools in PGA History

With reference to 2019’s PGA prize pool, the Players Championship stands to be the most lucrative purse in professional golf. Rory Mcllroy is one of the lucky individuals who went home with big wins courtesy of the Players prize money. 

He bagged $2.25 million thanks to his one-stroke victory over Jim Furyk. Even though the U.S Open at Pebble Beach matched with the USGA, PGA Tour officials made it crystal clear that they wanted to retain the “richest tournament in golf” title. 

That is why in January 2020, PGA announced that they were upping this year’s ante at TPC Sawgrass. They increased their overall prize money payout to $15 million. Winners who take first place are to receive $2.7 million. 

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How Big are Payouts Received from PGA’s Prize Pool? 

Let’s begin by looking at their prize money payout from last year. There were three majors, and this is how much each received;

The master’s category had a total of $11.5 million to be won, and the winner went home with $2.07 million. The next category was the PGA Championship, which had $11 million to be won, and the winner went home with $1.98 million. The last category was the Open Championship, which had $10.75 million to be won, and the winner went home with $1.935 million.

So what do these numbers mean? In simple terms, a player who finished in third place at the TPC Sawgrass held in March 2020 had the potential to go home with more than $1 million. Better still, a person who finished in 22nd place had the potential to go home with more than what Arnold Palmer made on the PGA tour of 1971 during his winningest single season ($162,896).

Evolution of the Players Prize Money Payout

This is nothing short of impressive, especially when you look into the evolution of the Players prize money payout. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of PGA’s prize pool since the tournament’s inception in 1974. 

In the first year of the tournament (1974), the total purse was $250,000, and the first-place winner, Jack Nicklaus, went home with $50,000.

The next year (1982), the total purse was $500,000, and the first-place winner, Jerry Pate, went home with $90,000.

The third year (1987), the total purse was $1 million, and the first-place winner, Sandy Lyle, went home with $180,000.

In the fourth year (1993), the total purse was $2.5 million, and the first-place winner, Nick Price, walked away with $450,000.

The following year (2000), the total purse was a whopping $6 million, and Hal Sutton, who won first-place, walked away with $1.08 million. 

In 2007, Phil Mickelson won $1.62 million from the $9 million that was that year’s total purse. 

Seven years later (2014), the total purse rose to $10 million, and the first-place winner, Martin Kaymer, received $1.8 million. In 2018, the PGA increased their prize pool by one million, and Webb Simpson, the first place winner, walked home with $1.89 million. 

We all remember 2019’s $2.25 million win by Rory Mcllroy from the $12.5 million total purse. 

Finally, in 2020, the total purse stands at 15 million, and the first place winner walked away with $2.7 million. 

Based on PGA’s prize pool growth, these numbers can only go higher. 

2020’s Prize Money Payouts for Golfers who made the Cut

Without further ado, let’s look at what the golfers who made the cut in March 2020 at TPC Sawgrass walked away with.

The Tour Championship purse 2020 stood at $60 million, the same amount as last season. It is a significant jump from 2018’s $9 million, and this means that the winner’s share will be more than the $1.62 million Tiger Woods won that year. 

The reason for this jump is a rule the PGA Tour put in motion in 2019. According to this rule, a winner of the Tour Championship was to win the FedEx Cup Playoffs together with bonus money. 

So how much does the winner get? Well, the golfer who finishes first place is to walk away with $15 million, the same amount MCllroy made in 2019. 

Wrapping Up 

Aside from being a mind engaging sport, golf is also an excellent way of winning good money. Winners go home with crazy sums of money, and nothing is as motivating as watching people get rich. Every year there is a tournament, and fans not only get to enjoy the action, but are also vicariously part of every winner’s victory. We hope to witness even bigger wins in the coming years.