The US Women’s Open prize money offers a compelling example of the speed with which the women’s game has grown in recent years.
Just four years ago, the Major had an overall purse of $5.5m, with the winner Yuka Saso banking $1m. Even today, that would represent a potentially life-changing sum for many in the field at Erin Hills, but the prize money payout has increased significantly since 2021.
There was a big leap just a year after Saso claimed the first of her two US Women’s Open titles, with a $10m purse ensuring winner Minjee Lee picked up $1.8m, and that increased to $11m in 2023, when Allisen Corpuz held off Charley Hull and Jiyai Shin for a $2m first prize.
In 2024, Saso was the beneficiary of a $2.4m check thanks to the biggest prize money in the history of the women’s game - $12m. That is also the figure available this year, with the winner again set to claim $2.4m.
Before the tournament, USGA CEO Mike Whan highlighted the US Women’s Open’s proud record of breaking new ground, particularly where it comes to prize money, saying: “If you think about firsts, we like to kind of bring firsts. First to get to a $3m purse, $5m purse, $10m purse, $12m purse.”
While the $12m purse guarantees a significant financial incentive for anyone to make it to the weekend, Whan also revealed that, like previous years, it’s not just the players who make the cut who will be compensated.
He added: “Purse, $12 million; $2.4 winner's check. If you, missed the cut this week, you'll still receive $10,000. As I have said every year, we really believe that getting into this field is making the cut. There was over 1900, do I have that right? Over 1900 participants tried to make it into one of these 156 tee times.”
Although the prize money payout at this week’s event is still some way short of achieving parity with the men’s equivalent the US Open, which in 2024 offered a $21.5m purse, it this year’s fund is identical to that distributed among the men at the 2018 edition, while the winner receives $240,000 more than Brooks Koepka secured for claiming the title that year.
Not only that, but the overall payout is $4m more than was offered at the first women’s Major of the year, the Chevron Championship, while the winner will receive double the $1.2m handed to Mao Saigo for her playoff win at the Club at Carlton Woods.
