Payday at Olympic Club
U.S. Women's Open 2021: Here's the prize money payout for each golfer at Olympic Club

Kathryn Riley
Mid-way through the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open, eventual winner Yuka Saso probably couldn’t have imagined she would be the one holding the trophy. She’d made two double bogeys on the front nine at The Olympic Club and was playing in the final threesome with Lexi Thompson, who held a five-stroke lead with eight holes to play.
But golf is golf, and nothing is guaranteed. Thompson stumbled coming home, making three bogeys and a double to post a closing 75 and finish third, adding to her list of major disappointments. Meanwhile, Saso hung tough, posting a two-over 73 that was good enough to get in a playoff with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka at four-under 280 total. Then after making two pars in the two-hole aggregate playoff, the 19-year-old from the Philippines rolled in an eight-footer for birdie to tie Inbee Park as the youngest winner in the history of the championship.
With the victory, Saso became an instant millionaire. The USGA awarded an overall prize money payout of $5.5 million this week at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, with the Saso earning a seven-digit payday.
Only one women's tournament offers a larger first-place prize, the CME Group Tour Championship. In 2019, winner Sei Young Kim received $1.5 million from an overall purse of $5 million. The event changed its structure slightly in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Jin Young Ko earning $1.1 million from an overall purse of $3 million.
Here's a look at the overall purses for the other four women’s major:
AIG Women's British Open: $4,500,000 (winner: $675,000)
KPMG Women's PGA Championship: $4,500,000 in 2021 (winner: $675,000)
Evian Championship: $4,500,000 (winner: $675,000)
ANA Inspiration: $3,100,000 (winner: $465,000)
And here are the prize money payouts for each professional golfer who made the cut this week in San Francisco. Any money an amateur would make is re-distributed to the other professionals in the field.
Win: Yuka Saso, -4, $1,000,000
P-2: Nasa Hataoka, -4, $594,000
3: Lexi Thompson, -3, $380,572
T4: Megan Khang, -2, $245,394
T4: Shanshan Feng, -2, $245,394
6: Angel Yin, E, $197,751
T7: Xiyu Lin, +1, $147,265
T7: Jin Young Ko, +1, $147,265
T7: Ariya Jutanugarn, +1, $147,265
T7: Brooke Henderson, +1, $147,265
T7: Inbee Park, +1, $147,265
T12: Amy Olson, +2, $108,180
T12: Jeongeun Lee6, +2, $108,180
T14: Celine Herbin, +3, $96,319
T14: Megha Ganne, +3, amateur
T16: Alison Lee, +4,$84,066
T16,Sei Young Kim, +4,$84,066
T16,Lucy Li, +4,$84,066
T16,Maja Stark., +4, amateur
T20: Madelene Sagstrom, +5, $72,197
T20: Hyojoo Kim, +5, $72,197
22: So Yeon Ryu, +6, $65,304
T23: Lizette Salas, +7, $57,416
T23: Emily Kristine Pedersen, +7, $57,416
T23: Jenny Shin, +7, $57,416
T26: Patty Tavatanakit, +8, $45,819
T26: Jennifer Kupcho, +8, $45,819
T26: In-Kyung Kim, +8, $45,819
T26: Marina Alex, +8, $45,819
T30: Jessica Korda, +9, $36,988
T30: Mina Harigae, +9, $36,988
T30: Matilda Castren, +9, $36,988
T30: Wichanee Meechai, +9, $36,988
T30: Lauren Stephenson, +9, $36,988
T35: Danielle Kang, +10, $29,074
T35: Jasmine Suwannapura, +10, $29,074
T35: Maria Parra, +10, $29,074
T35: Lydia Ko, +10, $29,074
T35: Rachel Heck, +10, Amateur
T35: Celine Boutier, +10, $29,074
T41: In Gee Chun, +11, $23,089
T41: Ally Ewing, +11, $23,089
T41: Ayako Uehara, +11, $23,089
T41: Stacy Lewis, +11, $23,089
T41: Gaby Lopez, +11, $23,089
T46: Mel Reid, +12, $18,494
T46: Brittany Altomare, +12, $18,494
T46: Yu Liu, +12, $18,494
T49: Leonie Harm, +13, $14,554
T49: Jenny Coleman, +13, $14,554
T49: Pernilla Lindberg, +13, $14,554
T49: Anna Nordqvist, +13, $14,554
T49: Carlota Ciganda, +13, $14,554
T54: Amy Yang, +14, $12,540
T54: Na Yeon Choi, +14, $12,540
T54: Minjee Lee, +14, $12,540
T57: Sarah Burnham, +15, $12,004
T57: Muni He, +15, $12,004
T57: Luna Sobron Galmes, +15, $12,004
T57: Austin Ernst, +15, $12,004
61: Giulia Molinaro,+16, $11,716
T62: Pajaree Anannarukarn, +17, $11,545
T62: Hannah Green, +17, $11,545
T64: Yealimi Noh, +18, $11,307
T64: Lee-Anne Pace,+18, $11,307
66: Gurleen Kaur, +21, Amateur
All 63 professionals who missed the cut receive $4,000 in unofficial prize money.