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Record: Double prize money at the Women’s PGA Championship

Prize money is going up everywhere – including this week’s Women’s PGA Championship. The best players in the world can hardly believe it.

Preparations are underway for the Women's PGA Championship. (Photo: Twitter/@KPMGWomensPGA)
Preparations are underway for the Women's PGA Championship. (Photo: Twitter/@KPMGWomensPGA)

The organizers of the Women’s PGA Championship have doubled the prize money for the major tournament: a total of 9 million dollars is up for grabs this week. A record sum that the best ladies in golf would not have expected.

Record sums at the Women’s PGA Championship

Compared to last year, there is double the prize money this year at the Women’s PGA Championship. The president of the PGA of America, Jim Richerson, announced that this year there will be a total of 9 million dollars and of that 1.35 million dollars for the winner. Compared to the prize money of 2014, the year before sponsor KPMG stepped in, that’s a 300 percent increase. Richerson justifies the increase as part of a desire to elevate women’s golf: “We really wanted to make sure we utilised this event to showcase the best women’s players in the game and do that with one of the biggest purses.” Prize money for the five women’s majors now totals $37.3 million, up from $13.75 million in 2012.

Hysterical reactions to the announcement

Participants in the Women’s PGA Championship can hardly believe the doubling of prize money. LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan had sent an email to the players shortly before the public announcement informing them of the increase. “There have been been some ‘holy you know what’ and ‘oh, my God’,” she recalls.

The prize money will be a special incentive for the women in the field, who will have to compete against defending champion Nelly Korda, among others. The latter underwent surgery on her left arm in April and only returned to tournament action last week. Here she fought her way directly into a 3-way playoff, in which she finally had to give way to Jennifer Kupcho. A promising return to the tournament, which raises hopes for a top finish at the Women’s PGA Championship.

Several German players will also be competing: Isi Gabsa, Caroline Masson, Sophia Popov and Esther Henseleit. The two Swiss players Albane Valenzuela and Morgane Metraux will also be playing.