LPGA's Tour Championship is getting a big purse bump, with $2 million going to winner in '22

NAPLES, Fla.—The LPGA Tour announced on Wednesday that the biggest first-place check in women's golf is growing even larger in 2022. The CME Group Tour Championship purse is increasing by $2 million, going from $5 million to $7 million next year. The winner will take home $2 million, $500,000 more than in this week's season finale. Everyone who plays their way into the 60-player field will earn a minimum of $40,000.

The $2 million first-place prize joins the U.S. Women's Open as the only events with million-dollar checks for the winners. The U.S. Women's Open, which paid $1 million to the winner this year, has the second-largest purse among the five majors, at $5.5 million, only trailing the AIG Women's Open's $5.8 million. The Tour Championship purse increase comes after the LPGA announced in October that the ANA Inspiration would become the Chevron Championship, with a $5 million purse beginning in 2022, up from $3.1 million this season.

“We could not be more grateful to CME Group, under the bold and visionary leadership of Group Chairman and CEO Terry Duffy, for helping provide the best female golfers in the world with the opportunity to live their dreams," LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan Marcoux Samaan said in statement. “The Race to the CME Globe and the CME Group Tour Championship have transformed the LPGA since their inception in 2014. Today’s announcement is another example of CME’s continued pioneering support of the LPGA and their commitment to leveling the playing field for female golfers, and female athletes in general, from around the globe."

The Tour Championship has experienced an impressive list of winners. All but Charley Hull in 2016 have been top-two players in the world: Jin Young Ko (2020), Sei Young Kim (2019), Lexi Thompson (2018), Ariya Jutanugarn (2017), Cristie Kerr (2015) and Lydia Ko (2014).