The biggest purses in women's professional golf come in major tournaments or events just shy of major status, all carrying big first-place prize money and the largest payouts in the sport.
The AIG Women's Open now has the largest purse in women's golf, with the pool increasing to $5.8 million from $4.5 million in 2021. It will increase to $6.8 million in 2022.
The U.S. Women's Open had the biggest purse in golf as of 2019, with the United States Golf Association setting the purse to $5.5 million, with the winner getting a record $1,000,000.
Starting in 2019, the second-largest LPGA purse and the largest single first-place payout on the LPGA belongs to the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. The purse will increase to from $2.5 million to $5 million, with the winner's share increasing from $500,000 to $1.5 million. The first-place payout effectively combines the Race to the CME Globe prize of $1 million with that of the tournament, making it a single, easy-to-understand payout.
Prior to the increase, the AIG Women's British Open had the third-largest purse in women's golf, with the R&A increasing the 2019 purse by $1.25 million to $4.5 million. The Evian Championship and KPMG Women's PGA Championship were tied with the AIG Women's Open at $4.5 million.
The ANA Inspiration is the only major championship not to have a purse of at least $4 million, coming in at $3.1 million in 2021.
A total of 10 other tournaments on the schedule have a purse of $2 million or more.
