The Players Championship may not be officially considered a major championship, but it’s paying like one.
For the second consecutive season, the PGA Tour’s flagship event is raising its prize purse, this time by $1.5 million or 13.6%.
“The Fifth Major” will now boast the largest prize pool in golf at $12.5 million, major championship trophy on the line or otherwise. The increase was announced to players via the monthly green sheet that is sent to them, according to GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard.
For the second year in a row, The Players Championship is increasing its purse. Now at $12.5 million?, The Players now has the largest purse on the PGA Tour. https://t.co/qQ1fGZQjhV pic.twitter.com/R5eJXbptgj
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) January 26, 2019
The $12.5 million purse is half a million dollars more than the U.S. Open’s $12 million prize, and $1.5 more than both the Masters and PGA Championship, whose prizes are set at $11 million. The three U.S.-based majors annually announce any changes to their purse the week of their respective events.
The winner of this year’s Players Championship, which returns to its March tournament date, will take home $2.25 million. Last year, Webb Simpson made $1,98 million for his victory.
To add some historical context, in 1994, the entire tournament purse was $2.4 million and Greg Norman received $450,000 for winning.
