KPMG announced Monday that the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will feature a record $13 million total purse [1].
This financial milestone represents the largest purse in the history of women's golf. By increasing the prize pool, the organization aims to grow the sport and elevate the professional standing of female athletes on a global stage.
The announcement was made during the week of the championship by representatives including Tim Walsh of KPMG, LPGA Tour's Craig Kessler, and PGA's Terry Clark [1]. The move signals a strategic shift in how major women's sporting events are funded and marketed, emphasizing a long-term investment in the growth of the game [2].
According to reports, the $13 million figure is consistent across multiple tracking sources [1], [2], [3]. The increase is part of a broader effort by KPMG to strengthen its commitment to women's golf. This investment is intended to attract more talent and increase the visibility of the championship [2].
The 2026 event serves as a benchmark for future prize distributions in the sport. While women's golf has seen steady growth in viewership and sponsorship, this specific purse amount sets a new ceiling for the industry [3].
KPMG representatives said the record purse is just the start of their efforts to support the championship. The organization intends to use this momentum to further integrate the event into the primary sports landscape [1].
“The 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will feature a record $13 million total purse.”
The establishment of a $13 million purse creates a new financial precedent for women's professional golf, narrowing the compensation gap between men's and women's major championships. This move suggests that corporate sponsors now view women's golf as a high-growth asset capable of sustaining record-level investments, which may pressure other major tournaments to increase their payouts to remain competitive.
