PGA Championship Joins Masters and U.S. Open in $20 Million Prize Money Club

The $20.5 million purse puts the PGA Championship ahead of the PGA Tour’s $20 million signature events for the first time. The PGA Championship purse was $15 million in 2022. In 2026, it reached a record $20.5 million.

Only the Masters Tournament ($22.5 million) and the U.S. Open ($21.5 million) currently offer higher prize money among the four majors. The Open Championship had a $17 million purse in 2025.

Sunday’s winner of the PGA Championship will earn $3.69 million, which is more than the $3.42 million Scottie Scheffler won after lifting the Wanamaker Trophy at Quail Hollow Club in 2025. Second place pays approximately $2.2 million, while third pays approximately $1.4 million.

The top 20 finishers will each earn at least $252,000. The last-place finisher among the 82 players who made the cut will receive $23,900. Players who missed the cut will get $4,300.

Prize money across men’s golf has increased since LIV Golf started in 2022.

How LIV Golf and the PGA Tour Pushed Prize Money Across Men’s Golf to New Heights

LIV Golf started in 2022 with prize money of $25 million for each event. Since then, it has increased the total prize fund to $33 million per event. Out of that, $23 million goes to individual players, and $10 million goes to team competitions.

In response, the PGA Tour launched its signature events in 2023 with $20 million prize funds. It also increased the prize money for The Players Championship to $25 million.

Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, told Front Office Sports earlier this month that the U.S. Open does not see prize money as a competition with the Masters Tournament or other major tournaments.

Meanwhile, PGA Tour CEO Derek Sprague and Clark did not directly compare the PGA Championship prize money strategy with the U.S. Open’s approach.