Women's PGA Championship doubles prize money to $9 million US
Rise in winnings is 300 per cent increase from 2014; winner to receive $1.35 million
The KPMG Women's PGA Championship is doubling the size of its purse to $9 million US, another boost to the women's game that brings prize money for the five majors to nearly triple the amount from a decade ago.
The increase in prize money for the LPGA Tour's second-oldest major is a 300 per cent increase from 2014, the year before KPMG and the PGA of America partnered with the LPGA Tour to raise the prize money and the profile by taking it to fabled courses.
The Women's PGA Championship starts Thursday at Congressional Country Club, which has hosted the U.S. Open three times. The winner will get $1.35 million.
The Amundia Evian Championship in France already announced a $2 million increase to $6.8 million, while the AIG Women's British Open has seen steady increases with a new title sponsor and now is up to $6.8 million. The Chevron Championship had a $5 million purse, nearly $2 million more than the previous year.
That brings prize money for the five majors to $37.3 million. In 2012, the same five tournaments had combined prize money of $13.75 million.
All but the U.S. Women's Open have corporate sponsors as part of the title.
The KPMG Performance Insights was launched last year to give the women a trove of statistics to help advance their games.
LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan delivered the news to her players in an email Tuesday morning, and it got plenty of attention.
Since KPMG became a sponsor, the Women's PGA has gone to Hazeltine and Olympia Fields, Aronimink and Sahalee, all courses that have hosted men's majors. Nelly Korda is the defending champion, winning last year at Atlanta Athletic Club to reach No. 1 for the first time.
The field features 99 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour's money list.
"This is a very big day for the LPGA, for women's golf and for women's sports," Marcoux Samaan said. "And we look forward to working with KPMG and the PGA of America to continue to use our platform to empower young women and inspire positive change in the world."
