The Memorial Tournament – $20 million
Jack Nicklaus founded his golf event in 1976, dubbed The Memorial Tournament, like other golfing greats highlighted in this article. The annual event takes place at the Nicklaus-designed Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, and has a purse of $20 million, with a winner’s share of $3.6m. Viktor Hovland won the title this year.
U.S. Open – $20 million
As the only major tournament on this list, the U.S. Open is undoubtedly a precious trophy. Nonetheless, the event is arguably the toughest test of any golf tournament, gifting the winner $3.6m out of a $20 million purse. Wyndham Clark won the 2023 edition at the Los Angeles Country Club from, marking his first major triumph.
FedEx St. Jude Championship – $20 million
If you enjoy playing golf for a good cause and competing for a $3.6 million winner’s share out of a $20m purse, the FedEx St. Jude Championship is a perfect fit. The event occurs at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, and has supported many charities since its inception. Lucas Glover won the 2023 tournament.
BMW Championship – $20 million
The BMW Championship is the PGA TOUR’s penultimate FedExCup playoff event, catapulting the top 30 to the Tour Championship. The tournament comes with a purse of $20 million and a winner’s share of $3.6m. In 2023, the BMW Championship took place at the Olympia Fields North Course with Viktor Hovland clinching the title.
WM Phoenix Open – $20 million
The WM Phoenix Open takes place in late January/early February at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is nicknamed “The Greatest Show on Grass”. The tournament has a $20m purse and $3.6m winner’s share, with Scottie Scheffler winning the 2023 edition of the tournament.
Final Thoughts
Judging from the above figures, pro golfers are wealthy, and just a few wins in one year can set you up for life. The Tour Championship technically has the biggest purse at $75 million, with the winner getting $18m, but its format differs from the above tournaments. As the final event of the FedExCup playoffs, it pays players for their performance that week combined with the rest of the season.
