Following the Chevron Championship, the year’s first women’s major, the LPGA Tour resumes its regular schedule this week. After almost 60 years, the LPGA Tour returns to Utah with the first-ever Black Desert Championship, held at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins from May 1–4, 2025.

Utah has not hosted an LPGA tournament since the Riverside Ladies Open in 1964. The tournament is one of the higher-tier prizes on the LPGA Tour, with a sizeable $3 million purse. With a $7.5 million purse and a $1.35 million winner’s share, the 2024 edition was a part of the PGA Tour, but the 2025 LPGA event is expected to leave its impact on the women’s golf scene.

Prize money breakdown of the Black Desert Championship

The stunning location of the 2025 Black Desert Championship and its substantial $3 million prize fund are both causing a stir. This high prize pool demonstrates the tournament’s dedication to improving women’s golf. The winner is anticipated to get a sizeable portion of the prize money, even though the precise allocation has not yet been made public. This could align with the LPGA’s typical distribution, in which the winner receives around 15% of the overall purse. A winner would receive about $450,000 as a result of this.

The resort’s commitment to promoting women’s golf and providing a top-notch event experience is further highlighted by the tournament’s sizable prize, which places it among the LPGA Tour’s higher-tier earnings.

Beyond giving free private charter flights for all players and one guest departing from the tournament site the week before, the Black Desert Resort improves the player experience and the prize money. All players will also get free, opulent lodging at the resort during the week of the competition. These programs demonstrate Black Desert’s continued commitment to improving the experience for female athletes while guaranteeing fair assistance for all contestants. Let’s now break down how this $3 million purse adds up—and what’s truly at stake for the contenders.

With the prize money set, all eyes now turn to the elite field gathering in Utah to chase history.

The 2025 lineup: A star-studded field in a historic setting

After winning an exciting five-way playoff, Mao Saigo of Japan won her first major championship at the Chevron Championship. She hopes to maintain that momentum going into this week’s competition. The four players—Ruoning Yin, Lindy Duncan, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Hyo Joo Kim—that she defeated in the first extra hole at The Club at Carlton Woods will join her. This week, Yin is the top-ranked player in the field at number four due to the absence of Nelly Korda, Jeeno Thitikul, and Lydia Ko.

Jutanugarn, who had the Chevron Championship title within her grasp before a whiff on the 18th, sending her into the playoffs, will be eager to recover. Sarah Schmelzel, who completed T6 last week, and Haeran Ryu also play. Ayaka Furue, Celine Boutier, Lilia Vu, Brooke Henderson, and Yuka Saso are among the other Major champions in the field. Charley Hull has failed to win a major award despite having one of the best profiles in the sport. Her exclusion from the Chevron Championship as one of the top players was even more disappointing. As she prepares for her upcoming opportunity, the US Women’s Open in May, she hopes to rapidly move past that with a solid showing here.

In addition to being a significant turning point in the LPGA Tour’s history, the Black Desert Championship raises the bar for tournament experiences by fusing hospitality and elegance with competitive brilliance.