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Jun 4, 2026; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Nelly Korda looks on after hitting her tee shot from the eighteenth tee during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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Jun 4, 2026; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Nelly Korda looks on after hitting her tee shot from the eighteenth tee during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The Dow Championship on the LPGA mirrors the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, which is played in teams. A unique format, star-studded pairings, and a multimillion-dollar purse have put the 2026 Dow Championship firmly in the spotlight. Running from June 11 to June 14, 2026, the event features 72 golf teams, including four sponsor invitees. These teams play a role in the LPGA Tour’s efforts to increase fan engagement.
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What’s more lucrative than that is the whopping sum at stake for those who make the cut. But because golfers compete alongside their chosen partners rather than as individuals, the event’s prize money structure is different, too.
Dow Championship 2026 prize money breakdown
The total purse at the Dow Championship 2026 is a whopping $3.3 million. Of this, the winning team takes home $805,381, or $402,691 each. This is not the standard 15% payout typically given in LPGA Tour events because of the tournament’s unique structure.
The runners-up team collects $399,338, while the third-place team receives $254,898. Here’s a complete breakdown of the Dow Championship 2026 prize money.
1 | $805,381 | $402,691 |
2 | $399,338 | $199,669 |
3 | $254,898 | $127,449 |
4 | $180,129 | $90,064 |
5 | $144,443 | $72,221 |
6 | $123,197 | $61,599 |
7 | $108,075 | $54,037 |
8 | $95,839 | $47,920 |
9 | $86,326 | $43,163 |
10 | $79,528 | $39,764 |
11 | $74,091 | $37,045 |
12 | $68,654 | $34,327 |
13 | $63,726 | $31,863 |
14 | $58,965 | $29,482 |
15 | $54,378 | $27,189 |
16 | $50,299 | $25,149 |
17 | $46,219 | $23,110 |
18 | $42,653 | $21,327 |
19 | $39,256 | $19,628 |
20 | $36,024 | $18,012 |
21 | $33,309 | $16,654 |
22 | $30,587 | $15,293 |
23 | $28,378 | $14,189 |
24 | $26,338 | $13,169 |
25 | $24,298 | $12,149 |
26 | $22,772 | $11,386 |
27 | $21,411 | $10,705 |
28 | $20,050 | $10,025 |
29 | $18,692 | $9,346 |
30 | $17,335 | $8,667 |
31 | $16,484 | $8,242 |
32 | $15,805 | $7,902 |
33 | $15,123 | $7,561 |
Only the top 33, and ties, will make the cut and play the weekend to collect prize money. Teams that don’t make the cut would miss out on the financial earnings.
Besides the financials, the teams are also fighting for CME Globe points for the season-long race. The winning team gets 820 CME Globe points, while the runner-up gets 410 points.
These points can help earn more, as the top rankers towards the end of the season get to play in the CME Group Tour Championship finale. Unlike other standard LPGA Tour events, the CME Group Tour Championship features a $11 million prize pool, with the winner collecting $4 million.
Top teams at the Dow Championship 2026
One of the most popular teams is that of Nelly Korda and Olivia Cowan, popularly nicknamed “Legally Blonde.” Korda is having a historic run: four wins, three runner-ups, and one tie for eighth in eight starts.
“We just wanted to go out and have some fun. That’s when we play our best. Last week was a great week. This is the perfect week to back up that week. It’s just a little more relaxed. It’s been a blast,” she said about playing at the Dow Championship 2026.
Another renowned team is that of the defending champions, Jin Hee Im and Somi Lee. The duo won the 2025 edition at 20-under 260 in a playoff against Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang.
Celine Borge and Polly Mack, who topped the leaderboard midway, are also an excellent team. The team followed their opening round of 68 with an exceptional 10-under 60, finishing two rounds at 12-under.
“I feel like we are really just in sync right now. Even when one is like a little bit in trouble, the other one is making the birdie putt. It’s pretty cool to see,” Mack said after Round 2.
With a $3.3 million purse and CME Globe points on the line, the Dow Championship 2026 is now heading toward an exciting finish in Midland.
Written by
Edited by
Abhimanyu Gupta