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Massive payday at this week’s LPGA event dwarfs most PGA Tour prizes

A detail view of a pin flag on the ninth green prior to the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 15, 2022 in Naples, Florida.

There is much on the line at the LPGA’s season finale — the CME Group Tour Championship — this week: one of the biggest titles of the year, Player of the Year honors and, oh yeah, the $2 million that the winner will take home.

That’s right: two million bucks.

That’s not just a lot of dough for a women’s golf event, it’s a lot of dough for any golf event.

The CME’s $7 million total purse is roughly in line with what the five women’s majors paid out in 2022 (see below). But the CME has separated itself with its first-prize share, which is $200,000 more than what the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open champion pocketed and $1.25 million more than what the season’s first major, the Chevron Championship, paid its winner.

The CME’s winner’s share is not only the largest prize in the history of women’s golf but also more money than most run-of-the-mill PGA Tour events award their champions, most of which pay out in the $1.4 million to $1.6 million range.

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The 28.6% cut of the purse the winner will receive in Naples, Fla., is far more than the typical 18% cut for a regular PGA Tour event (or the typical LPGA share of 15%). The only PGA Tour events that paid its winner more than $2 million were the three invitationals (Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Memorial), the WGC Match Play, the Players, the three FedEx Cup Playoff events and the four majors.

“Yeah, it’s good for us,” defending CME champion and world No. 4 Jin Young Ko said this week when asked about the payout. “So I hope the other tournaments, the prize getting higher, too. Fingers crossed.”

Added world No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul, when asked how she might spend $2 million: “I think I’ll buy a house. I didn’t have my own house in the States yet. I have planned to buy some, but yeah, if I win, it’s going to be right now.”

Before we get into a breakdown of the money for this week, let’s compare this week’s first-place and second-place (which is a 15% cut) money to what was given out at the five LPGA majors this year.

CME Group Championship (Purse: $7 million)

1: $2,000,000

2: $687,000

Chevron Championship (Purse: $5 million)

1: $750,000

2: $461,757

U.S. Women’s Open ($10 million)

1: $1,800,000

2: $1,080,000

KPMG Women’s PGA ($9 million)

1: $1,350,000

2: $718,827

Amundi Evian Championship ($6.5 million)

1: $1,000,000

2: $586,262

AIG Women’s Open ($7.3 million)

1: $1,095,000

2: $673,743

Now here’s the entire breakdown of the field payout for this week at Tiburon Golf Club:

CME Group Tour Championship payout info, winner’s share:

1. $2,000,000

2. $550,000

3. $340,000

4. $250,000

5. $195,000

6. $150,000

7. $120,000

8. $105,000

9. $92,000

10. $87,500

11. $83,000

12. $80,000

13. $77,000

14. $75,000

15. $73,000

16. $71,000

17. $69,500

18. $68,000

19. $66,500

20. $65,000

21. $64,000

22. $63,000

23. $62,000

24. $61,000

25. $60,000

26. $59,000

27. $58,000

28. $57,000

29. $56,000

30. $55,000

31. $54,250

32. $53,500

33. $52,750

34. $52,000

35. $51,250

36. $50,500

37. $49,750

38. $49,000

39. $48,250

40. $47,500

41. $47,000

42. $46,500

43. $46,000

44. $45,500

45. $45,000

46. $44,500

47. $44,000

48. $43,500

49. $43,000

50. $42,500

51. $42,250

52. $42,000

53. $41,750

54. $41,500

55. $41,250

56. $41,000

57. $40,750

58. $40,500

59. $40,250

60. $40,000

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