The Biggest Purses On the PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is embarking on a historic season in 2023. With several elevated events, prize money is at an all-time high. In total, the tour will sanction 47 events in 2023, totaling over $560,000,000 in money. So which events have the largest purses? Here are the events that will give players the largest novelty checks.
Largest Purses on the PGA Tour
When you look at the 2023 PGA Tour schedule, you’ll find purses that range from around $4 million all the way up to $25 million. New for this year are those elevated events that are seeing significant increases from 2022 with $20 million at stake.
The FedEx Cup technically does not have a purse, with its payouts considered a "bonus pool" so that means the Tour Championship, but the season-ending event is again worth a whopping $75 million. The changes for 2023 are designed to keep the PGA Tour’s best players gunning for those top spots, while allowing for significant financial opportunities for players who find themselves in the middle of the pack throughout the season.
| Purse Rank | Tournament | Date | Purse |
| 1 | Tour Championship | August 24-27 | $75,000,000 |
| 2 | The Players Championship | March 9-12 | $25,000,000 |
| T3 | Genesis Invitational | February 16-19 | $20,000,000 |
| T3 | Arnold Palmer Invitational | March 2-5 | $20,000,000 |
| T3 | WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play | March 23-26 | $20,000,000 |
| T3 | The Memorial | June 1-4 | $20,000,000 |
| T3 | FedEx St. Jude Championship | March 23-26 | $20,000,000 |
| T3 | BMW Championship | August 17-20 | $20,000,000 |
| T9 | Sentry Tournament of Champions | January 5-8 | $15,000,000 |
| T9 | Masters Tournament | April 6-9 | $15,000,000 |
| T9 | PGA Championship | May 19-22 | $15,000,000 |
| T9 | U.S. Open | June 15-18 | $15,000,000 |
| T9 | British Open | July 20-23 | $15,000,000 |
1. Tour Championship
Purse: $75,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $18,000,000
All roads lead to East Lake Golf Club where the Tour Championship winner is simultaneously crowned FedEx Cup Champion. Anyone who plays in the event is already in the top 30 for FedEx Cup points, so they’re leaving Atlanta with a nice paycheck. Rory McIlroy reigned supreme in 2022, on his way to regaining his World No. 1 status.
2. The Players Championship
Purse: $25,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $4,500,000
Widely considered the best field in all of golf, The Players Championship has always carried the “fifth major” title. The 2023 purse is up $5 million from a season ago, to $25 million, so the pressure on the historic island green 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass will be even more intense. In 2021, Justin Thomas shot a final-round 68 to best Lee Westwood by one.
T3. Genesis Invitational
Purse: $20,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
Tiger Woods hosts the game’s best at historic Riviera Country Club for the Genesis Invitational. This event gets a bump of $8 million for 2023. Last year, Joaquin Niemann fought off a Sunday 65 from Collin Morikawa to win by two stokes.
T3. Arnold Palmer Invitational
Purse: $20,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
Another elevated event for 2023, the Arnold Palmer Invitational brings a stellar field to Bay Hill Club and Lodge to compete and pay homage to The King, Arnold Palmer. As part of his historic 2022 season, Scottie Scheffler won this event.
T3. WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Purse: $20,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
Austin Country Club hosts the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play which pits the game’s best in a bracket-style tournament. Like the API and Genesis, the purse for the Dell Technologies Match Play has gone up significantly for 2023. The Match Play is yet another event Scottie Scheffler won in 2022.
T3. The Memorial
Purse: $20,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
June at Muirfield Village is a staple in the PGA Tour schedule and Jack Nicklaus will be there to host those looking for a share at the elevated purse. Billy Horschel cleared the field by four shots in 2022.
T3. FedEx St. Jude Championship
Purse: $20,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
One of the PGA Tour’s most feel-good events, the FedEx St. Jude Classic is held at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, and benefits the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Will Zalatoris had one of his debut moments at this event in 2022 when he won in a playoff over Sepp Straka.
T3. BMW Championship
Purse: $20,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
The BMW Championship is the FedEx Cup’s rotational gem that catapults the top 30 to the Tour Championship. In 2023, the event returns to Olympia Fields Country Club outside of Chicago with a $20 million purse. Patrick Cantlay will be the defending champion after winning in 2022 at Wilmington Country Club.
T9. Sentry Tournament of Champions
Purse: $15,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $2,700,000
The Sentry Tournament of Champions is played on the beautiful island of Maui while many of us are shoveling snow in January. Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course, one of GolfLink's top 25 public courses in America, hosts the season-opening event Cameron Smith won in 2022 by shooting 34 under par, one better than Jon Rahm.
T9. Masters Tournament
Purse: $15,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $2,700,000
The season’s first major championship, and the most recognizable to the average golf fan, the Masters is one of the pinnacles of the game. Thus far, the biggest moment of Scottie Scheffler’s young career was winning the Green Jacket in 2022.
T9. PGA Championship
Purse: $15,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $2,700,000
In recent years the PGA Championship shifted to May, and 2023 brings the event to Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Justin Thomas won in a playoff last year over Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills Country Club.
T9. U.S. Open
Purse: $15,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $2,700,000
In what is widely considered the toughest test of any tournament, the U.S. Open heads to Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. Matt Fitzpatrick came up clutch in 2022 at The Country Club to hand Will Zalatoris yet another runner-up finish along with Scottie Scheffler.
T9. British Open
Purse: $15,000,000 | Winner’s Share: $2,700,000
The year’s final major is the oldest tournament in golf, the British Open. This year, the wind and drizzle will likely be on display at Royal Liverpool. And, like the other three majors, the purse is $15 million. Cameron Smith had his coming out party in 2022 when he won the championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews.