Golf Terminology: What Does ‘Purse’ Mean?

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Quick Answer

• In golf, the ‘purse’ is the total pot of prize money available for a tournament.
• Think of it as the grand total of cash players can win.
• It dictates the potential earnings for golfers based on their finishing position.

Who This Is For

• Anyone who watches pro golf and wonders how much the players are actually playing for.
• Aspiring golfers who want to understand the financial side of the professional game.

What to Check First: Understanding the Golf Purse

• Total Prize Money: This is the headline number. Always look for the official figure.
• Official Tournament Website: This is your best bet for accurate purse details. Don’t rely on hearsay.
• Governing Body: Check the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, or relevant tour website. They’ll have the official breakdown.
• Payout Structure: How is that money divided? Not everyone gets paid, so know where the cut-off is.
• Currency: Especially for international events, make sure you know if it’s USD, Euros, or something else.

Step-by-Step Plan: Understanding the Golf Purse

1. Identify the Specific Tournament: You need to know which event you’re looking at.

• Action: Find the official name of the golf tournament you’re interested in.
• What to look for: The exact title, like “The Masters Tournament” or “The Players Championship.”
• Mistake to avoid: Confusing different events or tours. The FedEx Cup playoffs, for instance, have a separate bonus pool on top of individual tournament purses.

2. Locate the Official Purse Announcement: Go straight to the source for the prize money figures.

• Action: Navigate to the tournament’s official website or the governing tour’s site.
• What to look for: A section labeled “Purse,” “Prize Money,” or “Field.” This should state the total amount.
• Mistake to avoid: Using outdated information or unofficial fan sites. Purse amounts can change year to year. I learned that the hard way checking old stats for a buddy.

3. Examine the Payout Breakdown: Understand how the total purse is distributed among the players.

• Action: Look for a chart or table showing prize money by finishing position.
• What to look for: The percentage or dollar amount allocated to each place, from 1st down to the last player making the cut.
• Mistake to avoid: Assuming the winner takes home the entire purse. It’s a tiered system, with significantly smaller amounts for lower placings.

4. Note the Currency: Especially important for international tournaments.

• Action: Check the symbol next to the purse amount.
• What to look for: USD ($), Euros (€), British Pounds (£), or other currency symbols.
• Mistake to avoid: Assuming all purses are in US Dollars. A €5 million purse is different from a $5 million purse.

5. Understand the Cut Line Implications: Know who gets a piece of the pie.

• Action: Identify the finishing position that marks the cut line.
• What to look for: The number of players who make the cut (usually around 65-70 golfers). Players finishing outside this range typically don’t receive prize money.
• Mistake to avoid: Thinking that every player who starts the tournament gets paid. Only those who survive the cut are eligible for prize money.

6. Look for Additional Prize Money or Bonuses: Some events have extra incentives.

• Action: Scan for information on season-long points races or special performance bonuses.
• What to look for: Details about the FedEx Cup, Race to Dubai, or similar bonus pools. These are separate from the tournament purse but contribute to a player’s overall earnings.
• Mistake to avoid: Forgetting that these bonus pools can significantly increase a top player’s annual income, sometimes dwarfing individual tournament winnings.

Understanding the Golf Purse: Key Details

The term ‘purse’ in golf is pretty straightforward, but knowing the nuances can make you a sharper fan. It’s all about the prize money, plain and simple. When you hear about a tournament purse, it refers to the total amount of money that the tournament organizers have designated to be paid out to the players who perform well. This isn’t some abstract concept; it’s cold, hard cash that professional golfers are competing for every single week.

The size of the purse is a major indicator of a tournament’s prestige and importance. Major championships like The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship (British Open) consistently boast the largest purses on the golf calendar. These events attract the best players in the world, not just for the trophies and the history, but also for the substantial financial rewards. A win at a major can set a golfer up for life, not just because of the winner’s share but also due to the increased sponsorship opportunities that follow such a victory.

Beyond the majors, the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and other major professional tours have a schedule filled with events that also have significant purses. The Players Championship, often called the “fifth major,” typically has one of the largest purses outside of the Grand Slams. Then you have regular tour events, which can range from $1 million to upwards of $8 million or more, depending on the sponsor, the location, and the tour’s overall financial health.

It’s crucial to remember that the purse is the total prize money. The winner doesn’t get the whole thing. Instead, the purse is divided among a significant portion of the field, with the winner receiving the largest share, typically around 18% to 20% of the total purse. As you move down the leaderboard, the prize money decreases proportionally. Players who finish in the top 10 will earn substantial amounts, while those who finish in, say, 40th place might take home a few thousand dollars. This tiered payout system is designed to reward top performance while still providing some financial incentive for players who make the cut but aren’t contending for the win.

Common Mistakes When Understanding Golf Purses

• Mistake: Confusing the purse with the total event cost.
• Why it matters: The purse is what the players win. The event cost covers everything else: course rental, staff, marketing, prize money for officials, etc. They are entirely separate financial considerations.
• Fix: Always look for specific terms like “prize money,” “purse,” or “winner’s share.” If it doesn’t explicitly state it’s for player payouts, it’s likely an operational cost.
• Mistake: Assuming every participant gets paid.
• Why it matters: This is a big one. Most professional tournaments have a “cut” after the first two rounds. Only players who finish above a certain position (usually around 65th place, including ties) make it to the weekend and are eligible to receive prize money.
• Fix: Check the tournament’s payout structure. It will clearly show the minimum finishing position required to earn a share of the purse. If you miss the cut, you go home with nothing but the experience.
• Mistake: Not checking the currency.
• Why it matters: Golf is a global sport. Tournaments are held all over the world, and purses are listed in the local currency. A purse advertised as €5 million is not the same as $5 million, especially with fluctuating exchange rates.
• Fix: Always look for the currency symbol ($ for USD, € for Euro, £ for British Pound, etc.) next to the purse amount. If you’re unsure, a quick online search for the current exchange rate will clarify things.
• Mistake: Overlooking amateur prize money or lack thereof.
• Why it matters: The term ‘purse’ almost exclusively refers to the prize money for professional golfers. While amateurs might compete in certain events (like the U.S. Amateur or British Amateur), they generally don’t compete for monetary purses. Their rewards are typically trophies and the prestige of winning.
• Fix: Understand that when you hear about a professional tournament purse, it’s for the pros. Amateur events have their own rules and prize structures, if any.
• Mistake: Assuming the winner’s share is fixed at 18%.
• Why it matters: While 18% is a common figure for the winner’s share of the purse, it can vary slightly between tours and specific tournaments. Some might offer 18.5%, others 17.5%. It’s not a universal constant.
• Fix: Always refer to the official payout chart for the specific tournament to see the exact percentage or dollar amount for the winner and other placings.
• Mistake: Forgetting about bonus pools and year-end incentives.
• Why it matters: For tours like the PGA Tour, the FedEx Cup bonus pool is enormous, with the champion taking home a massive sum that often exceeds the winnings of any single tournament purse. Similarly, the Race to Dubai on the European Tour has substantial year-end bonuses.
• Fix: When evaluating a player’s total annual earnings, remember to factor in these season-long bonus pools, which are separate from individual tournament purses.

FAQ

• What is the typical size of a professional golf purse?

Purses vary significantly. Major championships like The Masters can have purses exceeding $15 million, with the winner taking home over $2.7 million. Regular PGA Tour events often have purses in the $7 million to $9 million range, while smaller tour events or those on developmental tours might have purses from a few hundred thousand dollars up to $1 million. The LPGA Tour purses are generally smaller but have been steadily increasing, with majors often exceeding $3 million.

• How is the golf purse determined?

The purse is funded through a combination of sources. This typically includes sponsorship fees from the tournament’s title sponsor and other corporate partners, entry fees (though these are often minimal for top professionals), and contributions from the tour itself. Larger, more prestigious tournaments with bigger sponsors and more significant media coverage will naturally command larger purses.

• Does the purse include amateur prize money?

Generally, no. The term ‘purse’ in professional golf refers specifically to the prize money allocated for professional players. Amateur championships, like the U.S. Amateur or the British Amateur, do not offer monetary purses. Instead, the reward is the title, prestige, and often exemptions into professional major championships.

• What happens to unclaimed prize money?

Unclaimed prize money, which can occur if a player withdraws before making the cut or if there are ties that result in odd payout structures, usually reverts to the tournament organizers or the tour. This money typically gets added back into the general fund, which can contribute to future tournament purses, operational costs, or charitable contributions associated with the event.

• Does the winner always get 18% of the purse?

While 18% is a very common figure for the winner’s share of the purse on the PGA Tour and many other professional tours, it’s not a strict rule for every single event. The exact percentage can vary slightly depending on the tour, the specific tournament’s structure, and agreements with sponsors. It’s always best to check the official payout sheet for the event in question for the precise breakdown.

• Are the purses the same for men’s and women’s professional golf?

Historically, men’s professional golf purses have been significantly larger than those in women’s professional golf. However, there has been a strong push in recent years, particularly from the LPGA Tour and its sponsors, to increase prize money and achieve greater parity. While a gap still exists, many LPGA majors now rival some men’s tour events in terms of prize money, and the overall trend is towards closing that gap.

• How does the purse size affect a player’s ranking or status?

While official world rankings (like the Official World Golf Ranking) are primarily based on points earned from tournament performance rather than prize money, the purse size indirectly influences a player’s status. Larger purses attract stronger fields, meaning players need to perform better against tougher competition to earn ranking points. Furthermore, consistently competing in and winning events with larger purses often leads to better sponsorship deals and higher overall earnings, contributing to a player’s perceived stature in the game.