The Colonial Life Charity Classic makes its debut at the Wood Creek Club in Elgin, South Carolina, from May 14-17, 2026. It marks the first time a Korn Ferry Tour has ever been held in the field in the metropolitan area. Even though it’s the inaugural event for the Colonial Life Charity Classic, the prize purse is as attractive as ever.

The total purse for the event stands at $1,000,000, with the winner taking home $180,000. That figure represents the standard 18% payout applied across all Korn Ferry Tours. To put that in perspective, a regular-season Korn Ferry Tour event carried a minimum purse of just $60,000 as recently as 2021. But it has taken a sharp jump since then.

It rose to $750,000 in 2022, then crossed the $1 million mark in 2023, where it has held since. That is a 66.7% jump in just two years. And it’s also a deliberate move by the Tour to raise the standard of professional golf’s most important pathway to the PGA Tour.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the prize purse offered at the championship:

The winner also earns 500 Korn Ferry Tour points and approximately 16 Official World Golf Ranking points. The season-long points matter enormously. The top 20 players on the points list at the year’s end earned a PGA Tour card for the following season. Beyond the check, the winner will also receive a two-year Korn Ferry exemption.

The prize purse and the feel are attractive, but there’s a lot more to this championship than what it shows upon the leaderboard.

What makes the Colonial Life Charity Classic 2026 beyond price?

The Colonial Life Charity Classic was created by Gene Holman, a Colombian native who spent 33 years working alongside the PGA Tour before bringing a professional event back to his town. Former Korn Ferry Tournament player Chris Baker also serves as the tournament’s director.

The name of the championship also has a story of its own. Unlike most Tour events named after financial sponsors with little connection, Colonial Life is an insurance company headquartered in Columbia. The title sponsorship is a local business backing a local event, and the primary charity beneficiary is United Way of the Midlands. It is a nonprofit focused on breaking cycles of poverty through health, education, and financial support in the surrounding community. Both the Korn Ferry Tour and Colonial Life have signed on for five years.

Columbia’s Mayor, Daniel Rickenmann, also shared his thoughts: “Columbia is perfectly positioned to become the next great stop on the professional circuit.”

Rightfully so, for a city that has never had a Tour stop before, it’s not a small thing!