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2019 Players Championship: The Players increases purse, has a bigger payout than all four majors (For now)
Chris Condon/PGA Tour/Getty Images
The Players has the biggest purse in all of golf. At least, for now.
Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard reported over the weekend the PGA Tour's flagship event had increased its total prize money by $1.5 million to a whopping $12.5 million. According to Hoggard, PGA Tour pros were alerted to this change during the Farmers Insurance Open.
Not that any added motivation was needed to play in the event. After a $500,000 increase to the purse last year, the tournament unofficially known as the fifth men's major championship was already tied for the second-richest event in golf at $11 million. But the Players, which has moved from May to March for the foreseeable future, currently has a bigger payout than all four actual majors, including the U.S. Open's $12 million offering.
We say "for now" because the four major championships usually announce any changes to prize money the week of their tournament.
Last year, Players winner Webb Simpson's share of the $11 million was $1.98 million, while Brooks Koepka took home $2.16 million of the $12 million U.S. Open purse. Based on the same formula of 18 percent going to the winner, this year's Players champ will earn $2.25 million.
This story first ran Jan. 28, 2019