Still far from the astronomical sums that players share on the PGA Tour, the LPGA circuit unveiled this Saturday through its commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, a significant increase in the overall prize money for 2025.
The calendar announced Wednesday during the CME Group Tour championship at the end of the season in Naples, Florida, still includes some major changes, notably concerning the new tournaments in Utah and Mexico, the end after 40 years of an event in Ohio, and also the merger of the Founders Cup with a previous tournament.
On the other hand, the overall prize money for the season’s tournaments is up sharply with a total never reached of 131 million dollars in 33 tournaments. Between 2021 and 2025, the winnings have almost doubled.
This amount does not include the $2 million International Crown, held every two years (the only team event in golf where countries compete) and the $2 million Grant Thornton Invitational. This is a mixed team tournament with the PGA Tour and in which Céline Boutier will meet Matthieu Pavon in December.
Lpga, results
The circuit also announced that the CME Group, the LPGA’s main partner, is extending its contract with the Race to CME Globe by two years until 2027.
The CME Group Tour Championship more than doubled its purse to $11 million, including $4 million for the winner this week. The only bigger prize in women’s sport is the WTA Finals (Tennis). American Coco Gauff won and pocketed $4.8 million.
Among the changes made to the 2025 calendar, the start of competitions has been delayed by two weeks to give players the opportunity to benefit from a slightly longer off-season. The Tournament of Champions at the Hilton Grand Vacations in Florida will not begin until January 30.
On the program this season is a return to Mexico for the Riviera Maya Open in Cancun and a stop in Utah for the Black Desert Championship, which hosted a PGA Tour event on the same course and won last month by prodigy Matt McCarty.
Note the addition of a Hawaiian stopover before the start of the fall Asian tour and especially the shifting of its first Major tournament, the Chevron Championship, by one week. This prevents it from taking place the week after the Masters.
Ten tournaments benefit from the increase in prize money with prizes reaching $3 million or more. Two events are not spoiled: the Honda LPGA Thailand and the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Finally, note that the new FM Championship at TPC Boston increases its prize pool to $4.1 million.
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