The PGA Championship’s pga championship payout has climbed to a record $20.5 million at Aronimink Golf Club, with the winner set to collect $3.69 million when the final round is completed Sunday. The PGA of America announced the purse increase and payout breakdown Saturday, lifting the total from last year’s $19 million.
The runner-up will earn $2.214 million, third place $1.394 million, fourth place $984,000 and fifth place $820,000, putting the top three finishers into seven-figure territory. Players who missed the cut will still receive $4,300 each, and the breakdown covers 82 players who made it through to the weekend.
Alex Smalley carried a two-shot lead into the final round at six under, with dozens of players still close enough to threaten the leaderboard heading into Sunday. The final round was scheduled to air from 1-7 p.m. ET on CBS, giving the tournament a prime window as the biggest prize money of the week hangs in the balance.
That purse figure matters because it keeps the PGA Championship among golf’s richest events and raises the stakes for every shot at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa. It also gives the field a clear split between those who survived the cut and those who did not, with even missed cuts earning a small share of the record fund.
The tension now is simple: Smalley starts with the lead, but the payout sheet shows how quickly the money jumps at the top. One final round will decide who walks away with the biggest check and who settles for a finish just short of it.
