Throughout a long season, the professional golfers on the Korn Ferry Tour compete in tournaments with the hopes of earning their way to the PGA Tour. At the end of the season, the top 25 players in the rankings earn a PGA Tour card for the following season, while another 50 players earn an opportunity to earn a PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
During the regular season, though, the pro golfers are not only trying to earn Korn Ferry Tour points that will help them on their quest to earn a PGA Tour card. They're also trying to earn a living by making money through Korn Ferry Tour purses that will help them afford to live their dreams.
Each tournament week, the Korn Ferry Tour purse varies from tournament to tournament, depending upon the quality of the sponsor and the importance of the event. However, the Korn Ferry Tour does have a minimum purse that they must present, regardless of the tournament.
What is the minimum purse on the Korn Ferry Tour?
The minimum purse on the Korn Ferry Tour is currently $750,000, up from $600,000 and then $550,000 just a few years ago. That means the minimum winner's share of a purse is $135,000, or 18 percent of the total prize money.
The top 65 players and ties after 36 holes make the cut, and those players that then finish the 72-hole tournament each official money. That means that the 65th-place player in a Korn Ferry Tour event makes a minimum of $3,000 if they complete the tournament.
After 65th place, the Korn Ferry Tour actually adds money to the purse to make sure all the players who make the cut get paid. That money is on top of the original stated purse, with the Korn Ferry Tour chipping it in to do the right thing for players who make the cut.
However, Korn Ferry Tour players get to the PGA Tour these days based on their total Korn Ferry Tour points earned during events, which are doled out at similar percentages as the purses themselves. Tournament winners for regular-season events earn 500 points.
Minimum purses are increasing
The minimum purse on the Korn Ferry Tour, however, is set to increase in 2023. In 2023, the Korn Ferry Tour minimum purse will be $1 million, which is currently the largest purse on the tour, reserved for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.
