KPMG Women’s PGA Championship doubles purse to $9 million for gender equity efforts

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Ladies PGA Tour (LPGA) just announced it’s doubling the size of its purse to $9 million, exactly two times the amount of last year’s purse. The championship, which is the second-oldest major in women’s golf after the U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica, will be played at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, this Thursday, June 23 through Sunday the 26th. The winner’s share will also double up from 2021, rising to $1.35 million.

This is a 300 percent increase from 2014, the year before KPMG and the PGA of America partnered with the LPGA Tour to raise the prize money and make a clear statement: drive purse size equity with the men’s game.

KMPG CEO committed to drive women’s purses higher

KPMG U.S. chairman and CEO Paul Knopp explains that while the purse size may not achieve equity with the men’s game this year, “we certainly think about trying to explore ways constantly to be a catalyst for change and really be an example to other title sponsors of these events to try to drive women’s purses higher for the future.”

Moroever, since KPMG became a sponsor, the Women’s PGA has made it to Hazeltine and Olympia Fields, Aronimink and Sahalee, all the courses that have hosted men’s majors.

Five LPGA majors combine for $13.75 million

If we take a look at the five LPGA majors’ prize money altogether, we can really see that the equity gap is only getting closer. At Pine Needles, Minjee Lee was paid $1.8 million of $10 million, doubling the purse of what already was the largest of the LPGA majors.

Additionally, the Amundia Evian Championship in France already announced a $2 million rise to $6.8 million, while the AIG Women’s British Open is now up to $6.8 million with a new title sponsor. Last but not least, the Chevron Championship had a $5 million purse, which is almost $2 million more than the previous year.

That’s $37.3 million of prize money for all five majors. In 2012, the same five tournaments had combined prize money of $13.75 million.

LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who delivered the news to her players through an email on Tuesday morning, said that “this is a very big day for the LPGA, for women’s golf and for women’s sports, and we look forward to working with KPMG and the PGA of America to continue to use our platform to empower young women and inspire positive change in the world.”