After years of debate over the discrepancy between purses on the men’s and women’s professional golf tours, 2022 is promising to be much more lucrative on the women’s side.
The USGA announced on Friday that the first-place prize for the U.S. Women’s Open this year will climb to $1.8 million, up from $1 million in 2021. Also, the CME Group Tour Championship’s total purse will jump up by $2 million (to $7 million), and its $2 million first-place prize will become the largest in professional women’s golf history.
To put that in perspective, only 27 times in the history of the LPGA has a player amassed $2 million or more in a single season, let alone a standalone week.
Here’s a look at those who have made this sum for an entire year (heading into the 2022 campaign).
Biggest purses: Evian Masters ($450,000), 1; Michelob Ultra Open At Kingsmill, ($330,000), 1.
Biggest purses: Weetabix Women’s British Open ($254,880), 1; McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by AIG ($240,000).
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open ($1,000,000), 1; ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer ($161,223), 2.
Biggest purses: CME Group Tour Championship ($500,000), 1; Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic ($270,000)
Biggest purses: Nabisco Championship ($225,000), 1; Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez ($180,000), 1; Bank of Montreal Canadian Women’s Open ($180,000), 1.
Biggest purses: Wegmans LPGA Championship ($337,500), 1; Fubon 2014 LPGA Taiwan Championship ($300,000)
Biggest purses: Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale ($487,500), 1; CN Canadian Women’s Open ($300,000), 1.
Biggest purses: The Evian Championship ($487,500), 1; Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship ($300,000), 1.
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA ($900,000), 1; Canadian Pacific Women’s Open ($337,500), 1.
Biggest purses: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship ($675,000), 1; Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give ($345,000), 1.
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open ($585,000), 1; Wegmans LPGA Championship ($337,500), 1.
Biggest purses: ANA Inspiration, ($390,000), 1; KPMG Women’s PGA Championship ($321,675), 2.
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open ($432,000), 1; Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G ($300,000), 1.
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open ($335,000), 1; Office Depot Championship Hosted by Amy Alcott ($262,500), 1.
Biggest purses: Ricoh Women’s British Open ($412,047), 1; Canadian Pacific Women’s Open ($337,500), 1.
Biggest purses: McDonald’s LPGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola ( $270,000), 1; Kraft Nabisco Championship ($270,000), 1.
Biggest purses: Samsung World Championship ($218,750), 1; 6 HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship ($200,000), 1.
Biggest purses: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship ($525,000), 1; Ricoh Women’s British Open ($464,817), 1.
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open ($900,000), 1; Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open ($225,000), 1.
Biggest purses: CME Group Tour Championship ($1,500,000), 1; LPGA Mediheal Championship ($270,000), 1.
Biggest purses: Ginn Open ($390,000), 1; Kraft Nabisco Championship ($300,000), 1; HSBC Women’s Champions ($300,000), 1.
Biggest purses: The Evian Championship ($615,000), 1; ANA Inspiration ($450,000), 1.
Biggest purses: The Evian Championship ($487,500), 1; Canadian Pacific Women’s Open ($337,500), 1.
Biggest purses: U.S. Women’s Open ($315,000), 1; Evian Masters ($315.000), 1.
Biggest purses: RICOH Women’s British Open ($392,133), 1; Wegmans LPGA Championship ($375,000), 1.
Biggest purses: CME Group Tour Championship ($1,500,000), 1; Cognizant Founders Cup ($450,000), 1.
Biggest purses: ADT Championship ($1,000,000), 1; CN Canadian Women’s Open ($337,500), 1; Ricoh Women’s British Open ($320,512).