Winning a major is the ultimate accomplishment for a professional golfer. Not only will your name be known in perpetuity, you also get to cash a really, really big check.
In 2020, Collin Morikawa took home $1.98 million for his victory at TPC Harding Park, and this year’s winner will receive the same amount. But in addition to the lifetime bragging rights and infusion of cash, the winner of the PGA Championship also receives a litany of other, lesser-known benefits, all of which are outlined below.
The Wanamaker trophy
The 2021 PGA Champion will enjoy a post-victory photo op on the 18th green with the real Wanamaker trophy, but he unfortunately doesn’t get to keep that one. A smaller replica will be sent to him at a later date.
Points galore
The points allocation for winning a major championship may be worth more than the winner’s check itself. The PGA champion receives 600 FedEx Cup points, and 100 Official World Golf Ranking Points. Depending on where a player is in the standings, these points can mean the difference between cracking the Top 50 in the world ranking, which gets you ultra-exclusive invites to no-cut WGC events (read: guaranteed money), and a higher ranking on the FedEx Cup points list. If a player makes it through the FedEx Cup playoffs into the Tour Championship, there’s some serious bonus money to be had.
For Ryder Cup-eligible players, points are worth double at the PGA Championship and other major championships, so he’ll get a boost in that department, too. (The European team qualifies via World Ranking points and money earned in European Tour events, which include the major championships.)
A lifetime exemption into the PGA Championship
This year, John Daly, Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem were among the handful of former champions who made it into the field because they’re former champions. And they can come back every year for as long as they want, just like this year’s winner will be able to!
Invites to the other majors
The 2021 PGA Champion will enjoy exemptions into the year’s other three majors (the Masters, Open Championship and U.S. Open) as well as the Players Championship, for the next five years.
A trip to Kapalua
What better way to start 2022 than to compete in the tropical paradise that is Maui? Yep, the 2021 PGA Champion will be eligible to play in the Tournament of Champions — another no-cut event, for more guaranteed money!
Guaranteed Tour membership
PGA Tour players are independent contractors, so they have to earn everything they get. And when a player wins the PGA Championship, he can enjoy some nice job security, with guaranteed membership on the PGA Tour for five years, and the European Tour for seven years.
So there you have it! Not a bad haul for four days of great golf.
