The PGA Championship 2026 already has another record even before its champion is known. The PGA de América announced this Saturday the official prize fund of the tournament played at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and the figure reaches a new record high: 20.5 million dollars in total.
The winner of the Wanamaker Trophy will take home 3,690,000 dollars, while the runner-up will receive 2,214,000 dollars and third place 1,394,000 dollars. Fourth will earn 984,000 dollars and fifth 820,000 dollars. From there the distribution progressively decreases, although with very significant amounts: tenth place will win 553,000 dollars, twentieth 252,230 dollars, and the last player with a 72-hole result, if finishing 82nd, will receive 23,900 dollars.
In addition, the PGA de América maintains a fixed payment for those who miss the cut but return a card after 36 holes: 4,300 dollars. The same amount will be received by players who make the cut but do not complete a 72-hole round.
The financial leap again confirms the unstoppable rise of prize money in the majors. The PGA Championship distributed 19 million dollars in 2025, with 3.42 million for Scottie Scheffler as champion at Quail Hollow. In 2024, at Valhalla, the purse was 18.5 million, with 3.33 million for Xander Schauffele. In 2023, at Oak Hill, the total rose to 17.5 million. In 2022 it was 15 million and in 2021, 12 million.
That is, in the last five editions, taking 2022 as the starting point, the PGA Championship has gone from 15 to 20.5 million dollars, an increase of 5.5 million, which represents an approximate rise of 36.7 percent. If the comparison is made with 2021, the increase is even more striking: from 12 to 20.5 million dollars, 8.5 million more, an increase of almost 71 percent.
The increase compared to last year is 1.5 million dollars, with the purse rising from 19 to 20.5 million. The champion’s prize also grows: from 3.42 million in 2025 to 3.69 million in 2026, that is, 270,000 dollars more for whoever lifts the Wanamaker Trophy this Sunday at Aronimink.
The PGA Championship thus consolidates itself as one of the most financially powerful tournaments in the world. professional golf prize distribution continues to grow at a dizzying pace and the season’s second men’s major is no exception. Aronimink already has a guaranteed record: a PGA Championship has never been contested for so much money before
Key figures of the 2026 prize distribution
- Total purse: $20,500,000
- Winner: $3,690,000
- Second: $2,214,000
- Third: $1,394,000
- Fourth: $984,000
- Fifth: $820,000
- Tenth: $553,000
- Twentieth: $252,230
- Players who miss the cut: $4,300
Recent evolution of PGA Championship prize money
| Year | Total purse | Winner’s prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $12,000,000 | $2,160,000 |
| 2022 | $15,000,000 | $2,700,000 |
| 2023 | $17,500,000 | $3,150,000 |
| 2024 | $18,500,000 | $3,330,000 |
| 2025 | $19,000,000 | $3,420,000 |
| 2026 | $20,500,000 | $3,690,000 |
