In 2024, the Players Championship, which many regard as golf’s fifth major, was played for the 50th time.
Jack Nicklaus won the first edition of The Players in 1974 and Jerry Pate famously won the event when it was held at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for the first time in 1982.
Since then, the famous course has evolved, with the par-3 17th hole becoming one of the most iconic sights in the sport. The prize purse has also evolved.
In 1974, the Golden Bear won $50,000 which was the lion’s share of the $250,000 pot. The Players Championship prize money 2024 pot stood at a mammoth $25 million purse and is the most lucrative, most financially rewarding event on the PGA Tour.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler found out what it was like to win the tour’s most expensive fixture in 2023 (away from the Tour Championship) when romping home by five shots. He picked up the winner’s cheque of $4.5 million for his troubles as well and went on to do the exact same in 2024. The total purse and winner’s prize were the same in 2025.
Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun were locked together on 12-under-par after 72 holes at Sawgrass but, because of a four-hour weather delay, the pair played a three-hole aggregate playoff on the Monday.
McIlroy shot one-over-par in the playoff which was more than enough to beat Spaun who made a triple-bogey on the 17th hole, – the second playoff hole. McIlroy won $4.5 million and Spaun won $2.725 million.
This constitutes a significant increase from when Cameron Smith banked $3.6 million for winning the golden Players trophy in 2022, the same year he won The Open Championship.
Here’s how the Players Championship prize money payout has increased in the last five years at Ponte Vedra and previous years too, as well as this year’s rundown of the key players.
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Players Championship prize money from years gone by
2025 Players Championship prize money
Purse: $25,000,000
Winner: Rory McIlroy – $4,500,000
2: J.J. Spaun – $2,725,000
T3: Tom Hoge, Akshay Bhatia, Lucas Glover – $1,325,000
T6: Danny Walker, Corey Conners, Bud Cauley – $843,750
9: Robert MacIntyre – $731,250
T10: Collin Morikawa, Davis Thompson – $656,250
Last Place: Xander Schauffele – $50,250
2024 Players Championship prize money
Purse: $25,000,000
Winner’s share: $4,500,000 (Scottie Scheffler)
2023
Purse: $25,000,000
Winner’s share: $4,500,000 (Scottie Scheffler)
2022
Purse: $20,000,000
Winner’s share: $3,600,000 (Cameron Smith)
2021
Purse: $15,000,000
Winner’s share: $2,700,000 (Justin Thomas)
2020
No tournament
2019
Purse: $12,000,000
Winner’s share: $2,250,000 (Rory McIlroy)
2018
Purse: $11,000,000
Winner’s share: $1,890,000 (Webb Simpson)
2017
Purse: $10,500,000
Winner’s share: $1,890,000 (Si-woo Kim)
And a selection of payouts in the competition’s history…
2007
Purse: $9,000,000
Winner’s share: $1,620,000 (Phil Mickelson)
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2000
Purse: $6,000,000
Winner’s share: $1,080,000 (Hal Sutton)
1993
Purse: $2,500,000
Winner’s share: $450,000 (Nick Price)
1987
Purse: $1,000,000
Winner’s share: $180,000 (Sandy Lyle)
1982
Purse: $500,000
Winner’s share: $90,000 (Jerry Pate)
1974
Purse: $250,000
Winner’s share: $50,000 (Jack Nicklaus)
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NOW READ: What are The Players Championship playoff rules?
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