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Players Championship purse, winner's check get huge increase
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The Players Championship has pulled ahead of golf's four majors. At least, when it comes to prize money.
The AP's Doug Ferguson reported on Friday that the PGA Tour's flagship event has raised its total purse by $2.5 million to a whopping $15 million. And this year's winner at TPC Sawgrass will earn $2.7 million.
“It feels like it keeps going up and up and up,” 2016 Players champ Jason Day told Ferguson. “That's great. I'm not complaining.”
Day's feeling is correct. This is the third consecutive year the tournament has significantly raised its stakes with a $500,000 bump in 2018 and a $1.5 million increase last year.
The Players had been tied with the U.S. Open for the biggest purse in golf at $12.5 million. The Masters is next at $11.5 million, followed by the PGA ($11 million), and the Open Championship ($10.75 million). All four majors have yet to announce their payouts for 2020.
So for now, the Players boasts the biggest payday of any individual PGA Tour event. The Tour Championship winner earns $15 million (runner-up receives $5 million), but that is considered a season-long bonus for claiming the FedEx Cup. And the European Tour's DP World Championship pays out $3 million, but from an overall purse of $8 million.
The 2020 Players Championship is scheduled for March 12-15. Rory McIlroy is the defending champ.