It’s not often that the prize money dolled out at an event is cause for newsworthiness alone, but at the U.S. Women’s Open, that’s precisely what’s happening.
Thanks to ProMedica — the Women’s Open’s first title sponsor — the purse at Pine Needles will be the largest in women’s golf history. At $10 million, the payout at the 2022 Women’s Open will nearly double the $5.5 million sum given out at Olympic Club last June. It’s a monumental development for the women’s game, both in terms of dollars-and-cents, and in terms of pay equity, which has lagged as men’s purses have soared in recent years.
The increase means those who made it to the weekend in North Carolina will receive paychecks similar to those handed out weekly in the men’s game, and sets the stage for broader purse increases throughout the sport.
In short, the historic money flowing into the U.S. Women’s Open is a big deal to those in and around the women’s game, particularly those who see their responsibility to the sport in ensuring a fairer, more lucrative future.
“It’s really important that organizations like the USGA buy in and increase the purses,” Michelle Wie-West told GOLF.com earlier this week. “It levels it up for everyone else to have to compete with that and level it up. It’s always really important for that first buy-in to increase the purse. The USGA has done such an amazing job over the years to always be that pioneer.”
Between the purse and a four-hour national broadcast window (3-7 p.m. ET on NBC), Sunday is primed for a historic finish at Pine Needles. Below, find everything you need to know about the monster $10 million purse, including payout information and winner’s share.
U.S. Women’s Open payout information, winner’s share
Can $10 million move the needle? At the U.S. Women’s Open, it’s worth a shot
1. $1,800,000
2. $1,080,000
3. $685,000
4. $480,225
5. $399,982
6. $354,658
7. $319,738
8. $286,363
9. $259,169
10. $238,052
11. $217,245
12. $200,866
13. $187,166
14. $172,745
15. $160,384
16. $150,083
17. $141,842
18. $133,602
19. $125,361
20. $117,120
21. $110,013
22. $102,905
23. $96,003
24. $89,617
25. $84,054
26. $79,316
27. $75,711
28. $72,518
29. $69,427
30. $66,337
31. $63,247
32. $60,156
33. $57,066
34. $54,285
35. $52,019
36. $49,753
37. $47,589
38. $45,529
39. $43,469
40. $41,409
41. $39,349
42. $37,289
43. $35,228
44. $33,168
45. $31,108
46. $29,254
47. $27,400
48. $25,649
49. $24,619
50. $23,588
51. $22,970
52. $22,455
53. $22,043
54. $21,837
55. $21,631
56. $21,425
57. $21,219
58. $21,013
59. $20,807
60. $20,601
61. $20,395
62. $20,189
63. $19,983
64. $19,777
65. $19,571
66. $19,365
