It’s been 15 years since the first birdie was made at the Founders Cup. A tournament established to honour the 13 women who built the LPGA Tour from the ground up in 1950. Now in its 15th edition at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park, California, running March 19–22, 2026, with a $3,000,000 purse, the Fortinet Founders Cup is bigger than ever.

With the Chevron Championship just weeks away, the Fortinet Founders Cup is the last major tune-up. And with $3M on the line, every shot at Sharon Heights this week carries real weight.

Winner’s payout & full prize money breakdown of the Fortinet Founders Cup 2026

The 2026 Fortinet Founders Cup carries a total purse of $3,000,000, with the winner collecting $450,000 representing the standard 15% LPGA payout structure. All players finishing inside the top 70 and ties who make the cut will receive prize money. Here is the complete distribution:

Beyond the payout, the champion will also earn 500 Race to the CME Globe points, feeding directly into qualification for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. In that event the top 60 players compete for a $4,000,000 first prize. On top of that, the winner receives Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings points, calculated on event strength and finishing position, along with a two-year LPGA Tour exemption combining ranking momentum with guaranteed playing status.

The Leaderboard after Round 3

The 2026 field is one of the best early-season lineups, with 20 of the top 25 players in the world, including Jeeno Thitikul and Nelly Korda, who have both already won this season.

Defending champion Yealimi Noh and 2024 winner Rose Zhang add even more depth. A mix of 25 rookies, qualifiers, and sponsor exemptions makes sure that the leaderboard is constantly changing.

Hyo Joo Kim is in the lead at −11, pulling away from the rest of the field with steady, error-free golf. At −7, Gaby Lopez is in second place. A large group at −6, which includes Aditi Ashok, Jeeno Thitikul, Nelly Korda, and others, keeps the leaderboard close going into the weekend.

The depth is what stands out; there’s no clear winner, just layers of contenders who are close enough to win. There are well-known names like Korda and Thitikul, but there are also steady players who are starting to play well. The field feels wide open, with only five shots between first and tenth place. A hot stretch could entirely change the leaderboard. Only Sunday will decide which golfer will take that hefty amount home.