How Much Did Lydia Ko Win in the 2015 Evian Championship & How Much Can She Win This Year? LPGA’s Drastic Prize Money Hike Explored
It was 2015. Lydia Ko had just dominated the whole field of golfers at the Amundi Evian Championship with a scintillating 16-under 268. But the trophy and the title of champion weren’t the only rewards she received as a result of her victory. The Kiwi also raked in a hefty payday with a cut of $487,500 from the total prize pool. Now, let’s jump back to the present. How much can she take home this year if the golfer emerges victorious?
Back in 2015, the field of athletes, including Lydia Ko, duked it out on the course for a total of $3,250,000 purse. However, come 2024, the amount at the upcoming major, at $8 million as per LPGA Tour’s announcement, appears to have undergone a huge change as it reached more than double what it was 10 years ago. Truly a drastic hike for the women’s circuit!
That’s not all. The winner of this year’s major championship at Evian Resort Golf is slated to receive a whopping $1.2 million. This is a considerable increase in money even when compared to the 2023 edition of the tournament, which saw just $1 million being awarded to Celine Boutier out of the $6.5 million prize pool.
Such a change has not been seen in just the upcoming major championship alone. Even the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship witnessed an increase in prize money to $10.4 million. This, in turn, raised the total dollar bills for the LPGA Tour’s 2024 season from $120 million to a record-breaking $125 million. Moreover, the Chevron Championship also saw a similar situation when the purse was elevated to $7.9 million.
The majors in the women’s circuit alone now award a combined $46.9 million to the golfers, which is nothing short of a 100% increase as opposed to the $21.9 million in 2021. But then curiosity naturally arises as to why the women’s sport is receiving a huge advantage when it comes to the money that is being offered to the LPGA Tour pros, including Lydia Ko.
The increasing market of the LPGA Tour
Recent studies by Deloitte have predicted huge growth for women’s sports all over the world. As per the reports, the LPGA Tour, WTA events, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup are slated to bring in $425 million alone from the predicted $1.28 billion revenue. The studies have also shown how the women’s Tour has doubled the brands associated with the sport such as its recent alliance with the apparel brand Rhone.
The major championships weren’t the only events that witnessed an increase in prize money. Even the JM Eagle LA Championship saw an increase in purse of $3.75 million, not to mention the CME Group Tour Championship which awards a whopping $4 million out of the total $11 million to the winner. With the current trajectory of women’s golf, the LPGA Tour may very well be in for a better future!
