Imago
May 14, 2026; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA; The flag on the eighth green is seen during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Imago
May 14, 2026; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA; The flag on the eighth green is seen during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
The PGA Championship is entering a new financial tier in 2026. The prize money has climbed again, and payouts have spread deeper across the field. The elites are competing at Aronimink Golf Club for a record $20.5 million prize money this year, up from $19 million in 2025.
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PGA Championship 2026 prize money breakdown
Of the total purse of $20.5 million, the winner will collect $3,690,000. This represents the standard 18% cut the winner gets in PGA Tour events. The runner-up will collect the second-largest paycheck, $2,214,000, while the third-place finisher will receive $1,394,000.
The table below shows the complete prize money breakdown at the second major of the year.
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| Position | Amount |
| 1 | $3,690,000 |
| 2 | $2,214,000 |
| 3 | $1,394,000 |
| 4 | $984,000 |
| 5 | $820,000 |
| 6 | $727,600 |
| 7 | $681,050 |
| 8 | $636,400 |
| 9 | $593,700 |
| 10 | $553,000 |
| 11 | $514,160 |
| 12 | $477,300 |
| 13 | $442,370 |
| 14 | $409,390 |
| 15 | $378,340 |
| 16 | $349,240 |
| 17 | $322,080 |
| 18 | $296,850 |
| 19 | $273,570 |
| 20 | $252,230 |
| 21 | $232,830 |
| 22 | $215,370 |
| 23 | $199,840 |
| 24 | $187,230 |
| 25 | $175,110 |
| 26 | $163,460 |
| 27 | $152,310 |
| 28 | $141,640 |
| 29 | $131,450 |
| 30 | $121,750 |
| 31 | $113,990 |
| 32 | $107,200 |
| 33 | $101,380 |
| 34 | $96,530 |
| 35 | $92,650 |
| 36 | $88,960 |
| 37 | $85,370 |
| 38 | $81,880 |
| 39 | $78,480 |
| 40 | $75,180 |
| 41 | $71,980 |
| 42 | $68,880 |
| 43 | $65,870 |
| 44 | $62,960 |
| 45 | $60,150 |
| 46 | $57,430 |
| 47 | $54,810 |
| 48 | $52,290 |
| 49 | $49,860 |
| 50 | $47,540 |
| 51 | $45,300 |
| 52 | $43,170 |
| 53 | $41,130 |
| 54 | $39,190 |
| 55 | $37,350 |
| 56 | $35,600 |
| 57 | $33,950 |
| 58 | $32,600 |
| 59 | $31,430 |
| 60 | $30,460 |
| 61 | $29,690 |
| 62 | $29,120 |
| 63 | $28,640 |
| 64 | $28,180 |
| 65 | $27,740 |
| 66 | $27,310 |
| 67 | $26,890 |
| 68 | $26,480 |
| 69 | $26,080 |
| 70 | $25,690 |
| 71 | $25,360 |
| 72 | $25,040 |
| 73 | $24,730 |
| 74 | $24,530 |
| 75 | $24,370 |
| 76 | $24,230 |
| 77 | $24,130 |
| 78 | $24,040 |
| 79 | $23,970 |
| 80 | $23,930 |
| 81 | $23,910 |
| 82 | $23,900 |
While these are the amounts for those who make the cut, the PGA Championship has also set aside some amount for those who don’t. Professionals who miss the cut or fail to complete 72 holes will receive $4,300 each.
Prize money at the PGA Championship has increased significantly throughout the event’s history. When it started in 1916, the purse was $3,000, and the winner, Jim Barnes, received $500. It first hit the $1 million mark in 1988. Back then, Jeff Sluman was the winner and received $160,000. Then, the prize pool increased to $5 million in 2000, $10 million in 2014, and $15 million in 2022.
Since then, the amount has continued to increase annually. This year’s PGA Championship marks the first purse pool over $20 million.
Apart from money, both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are offering their respective season-long race points. The PGA Tour has put 750 FedEx Cup points on the line. On the other hand, the European Tour has made 10,000 Race to Dubai ranking points. These points will be distributed among those who make the cut.
The OWGR has declared the field strength at the major to be 478.25985. Of this, the winner gets 100 points, which is slightly over 17% of the total available. The runner-up gets 60 points, while the third position gets 40 points.
However, these numbers represent just the projected distribution. Based on the results and the leaderboard, the actual OWGR points distribution could vary.
Field overview at the PGA Championship 2026
The field at the PGA Championship 2026 comprises 156 professionals. Of them, there are 15 past PGA champions and 29 total major champions.
Headlining the field are the defending champion Scottie Scheffler and the 2026 Masters winner, Rory McIlroy. While the World No. 1 and No. 2 are the favorites, there are many others who are in contention to win the event. Some of them include Alex Smalley, Maverick McNealy, Matti Schmid, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, and others.
With a stacked 156-player field and the biggest purse in tournament history, the PGA Championship 2026 promises high-stakes competition. From major champions to rising contenders, everyone at Aronimink Golf Club will be chasing a share of the record $20.5 million prize pool.
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal