The PGA Tour has 48 official tournaments on its 2020-2021 schedule, with prize money totaling $408,000,000. There's a lot of money on the line from the beginning of the season in September to the end of the season with the culmination of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the Tour Championship in August.
However, not every tournament has the same purse. In fact, purses in PGA Tour events range from $3 million to $15 million in 2020-21. The smallest purse belongs to the Puerto Rico Open, played opposite the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March, as well the Bermuda Championship and Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. The largest purse belongs to The Players Championship, which now boasts a $15 million purse.
The U.S. Open, which saw its purse increased from $10 million in 2016 to $12 million in 2017 and remains there in 2021. It has the largest purse of the four major championships.
There are purses of every size in between. The four World Golf Championships events have the same purse of $10.5 million. However, the WGCs pay the winner 17 percent of the purse compared to the normal 18 percent.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Genesis Invitational and Jack Nicklaus' the Memorial Tournament share the same distinction of the next-best class of purses at $9.3 million.
The three FedEx Cup playoff events have the same purse of $9.5 million.
With the Tour Championship now representing the final event for the FedEx Cup schedule and having no purse of its own, it technically has a payout of $46 million for the 30 qualifying players.
Only five tournaments have a first-place payout of less than $1 million.
Take a look at the full list of PGA Tour purses from largest to smallest.
2021 PGA Tour purses, ranked from biggest to smallest
Click header to sort
| DATE | TOURNEY | PURSE | 1st PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/05/21 | Tour Championship | $46,000,000 | $15,000,000 |
| 03/14/21 | The Players Championship | $15,000,000 | $2,700,000 |
| 06/20/21 | U.S. Open | $12,500,000 | $2,250,000 |
| 04/11/21 | Masters Tournament | $11,500,000 | $2,070,000 |
| 05/23/21 | PGA Championship | $11,000,000 | $1,980,000 |
| 07/18/21 | The Open Championship | $10,750,000 | $1,935,000 |
| 02/28/21 | WGC-Workday Championship at the Concession | $10,500,000 | $1,785,000 |
| 08/08/21 | WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational | $10,500,000 | $1,785,000 |
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| 03/29/21 | WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play | $10,500,000 | $1,785,000 |
| 10/20/21 | The CJ Cup at Nine Bridges | $9,750,000 | $1,750,000 |
| 08/29/21 | BMW Championship | $9,500,000 | $1,710,000 |
| 08/22/21 | The Northern Trust | $9,500,000 | $1,710,000 |
| 03/07/21 | Arnold Palmer Invitational | $9,300,000 | $1,674,000 |
| 02/21/21 | The Genesis Invitational | $9,300,000 | $1,674,000 |
| 06/06/21 | the Memorial Tournament | $9,300,000 | $1,674,000 |
| 05/16/21 | AT&T Byron Nelson | $8,100,000 | $1,458,000 |
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| 05/09/21 | Wells Fargo Championship | $8,100,000 | $1,458,000 |
| 10/25/21 | Zozo Championship | $8,000,000 | $1,440,000 |
| 02/14/21 | AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | $7,800,000 | $1,404,000 |
| 04/04/21 | Valero Texas Open | $7,700,000 | $1,386,000 |
| 05/30/21 | Charles Schwab Challenge | $7,500,000 | $1,350,000 |
| 01/31/21 | Farmers Insurance Open | $7,500,000 | $1,350,000 |
| 07/04/21 | Rocket Mortgage Classic | $7,500,000 | $1,350,000 |
| 06/27/21 | Travelers Championship | $7,400,000 | $1,332,000 |
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| 04/25/21 | Zurich Classic of New Orleans | $7,400,000 | $2,138,600 |
| 02/07/21 | Waste Management Phoenix Open | $7,300,000 | $1,314,000 |
| 12/06/21 | Mayakoba Golf Classic | $7,200,000 | $1,296,000 |
| 04/18/21 | RBC Heritage | $7,100,000 | $1,278,000 |
| 10/11/21 | Shriners Hospitals for Children Open | $7,000,000 | $1,260,000 |
| 03/21/21 | The Honda Classic | $7,000,000 | $1,260,000 |
| 11/08/20 | Vivint Houston Open | $7,000,000 | $1,260,000 |
| 05/02/21 | Valspar Championship | $6,900,000 | $1,242,000 |
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| 01/10/21 | Sentry Tournament of Champions | $6,700,000 | $1,340,000 |
| 01/24/21 | The American Express | $6,700,000 | $1,206,000 |
| 07/25/21 | 3M Open | $6,600,000 | $1,188,000 |
| 09/13/21 | Safeway Open | $6,600,000 | $1,188,000 |
| 10/04/21 | Sanderson Farms Championship | $6,600,000 | $1,188,000 |
| 01/17/21 | Sony Open in Hawaii | $6,600,000 | $1,188,000 |
| 11/22/21 | The RSM Classic | $6,600,000 | $1,188,000 |
| 06/13/21 | Palmetto Championship at Congaree | $6,600,000 | $1,188,000 |
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| 08/15/21 | Wyndham Championship | $6,400,000 | $1,116,000 |
| 07/11/21 | John Deere Classic | $6,200,000 | $1,116,000 |
| 11/03/21 | Bermuda Championship | $4,000,000 | $720,000 |
| 09/27/20 | Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship | $4,000,000 | $720,000 |
| 07/18/21 | Barbasol Championship | $3,500,000 | $630,000 |
| 08/08/21 | Barracuda Championship | $3,500,000 | $630,000 |
| 03/28/21 | Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship | $3,000,000 | $540,000 |
| 02/28/21 | Puerto Rico Open | $3,000,000 | $540,000 |
