Home/Golf
feature-image
feature-image

Women’s golf has come a long way, and the evidence is the excitement of LPGA player Minjee Lee. Lee recently won the 2022 Aon Risk Reward Challenge, but she was happier about something else. What could be the reason for happiness? Even though Lee started the year strongly, she last had a top-10 victory in August.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The Australian professional golfer sits at number 5 in the world ranking. She is right behind Lydia Ko in the year race of LPGA players. Therefore, it also carries the bonus of a hall of fame point. Many people believed that women’s golf was not equal to the PGA tour, and there were disparities. However, the tables have turned, and Lee is the happiest now. Let’s find out the facts.

Why was Minjee Lee happy?

The Twitter handle of LPGA posted a video of Minjee Lee attending the press conference. There she mentioned how she was glad that AON insurance, the organizer of the 2022 Aon Risk Reward Challenge, increased the prize money. She was pleased that PGA and LPGA are on a similar platform.

According to her, it opens doors to opportunities. She said, “just to be able to be put on the same platform, I think there’s not many opportunities we get to, you know, play for the same type of money”

Read More- Fans React to Minjee Lee Taking Home the Largest Prize Purse in Women’s Golf History

During the conference, she said, “It’s quite a life-changing money that AON puts up and it’s really great for the women’s tour and the LPGA.” The major championship winner went on to talk about the equal opportunities and treatment given to the two tours.

There are few opportunities where the disparities don’t exist, but after the prize money amount increased, it closed the gap. She said, “I think it’s it really kind of closes the gap between, you know, the LPGA and PGA Tour.”

The Aon Risk Reward Challenge is a massive deal for PGA and LPGA tours. However, players with the lowest average score relative to the par across are awarded. They give the prize money of $1 million to the winner at the end of the season. Earlier this season, Scottie Scheffler won the prize money on the PGA tour. However, Minjee Lee was the one to grab it on the LPGA tour.

How much has Lee earned this season?

Oates Victorian Open winner Lee had a great season and grabbed many money prizes. She won U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, her second major title. Therefore, the golfer took a whopping $1.8 million paycheck home. Recently, she grabbed her second paycheck of seven digits, i.e., the $1 million for the 2022 Aon Risk Reward Challenge. The 26-year-old golfer is a two-time winner this season and currently holds the money list with $3,759,835.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

article-image

However, Lee might be the one to enjoy the wealthiest season on the LPGA tour for the first time. She already won the Rolex Annika Major Award, and she will have $2 million more if she wins the CME Group Tour Championship. However, finishing second won’t be a problem for her either. The Amundi Evian Championship winner will have $687,000 beating Lorena Ochoa. The record set by Lorena in 2007 stands at $4,354,994. Let’s see if Lee will be able to break the record or not.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Watch this story- Veteran LPGA Golfer Explains Why the Women’s Game Is Struggling

What are your thoughts about the equal purse on PGA and LPGA tours? Let us know in the comment section.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT