Taken together, the recent announcements joining the prize funds for golf’s major championships show a disappointing trend of increases and crickets. The Masters, PGA Championship, and U.S. Open have all raised their prize money for the upcoming events, while the Open Championship remains unchanged for the first time since 2012.
The Masters Golf Tournament recently increased its prize pool to a record $21 million. That’s a $1 million jump from last year! Moreover, the PGA Championship has set their purse at $19 million, an increase of $500,000. Notably, the U.S. Open stands at the forefront with a prize fund of $21.5 million, although it did not experience an increase this year.
In sharp contrast, the Open Championship has kept its purse frozen at $17 million. Taken together, this decision is a very significant departure from the last several years. Where major tournaments were relatively guaranteed to raise their prize fund year-on-year. This year’s winner of the Open Championship will take home a whopping $3.1 million in prize money. That’s the same $1.85 million Xander Schauffele won at Royal Troon last year.
The Open Championship is the sole exception to golf’s stagnating prize fund. Meanwhile, PGA Tour signature events and Saudi-funded LIV Golf events provide hefty $20 million prize pools. This difference creates concerns about competitive fairness between the tournaments and what it means for who can play and who can sponsor players.
In the past, the four biggest championships have been quick to bump up their prize funds. This trend underscores the rising appeal of golf and its profitability as a business enterprise. The new figure gives the U.S. Open the biggest purse of all of these tournaments on the Tour. This recent accomplishment only serves to amplify its cachet within the sport.
Players are already poising themselves for these occasions. Financial incentives, in fact, are the largest single factor influencing their decision on where to locate and compete. The prize funding approaches of these major tournaments couldn’t be more different. These opposing approaches will undoubtedly keep shaping the competitive environment in pro golf for times to come.
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