Amid its last event of the year, the LPGA announced that the 2023 tour will award more than $100 million in total prize money — a record high. That’s twice the amount the tour offered just 10 years ago and an 18% increase from this season, according to ESPN.
The news comes as sponsorship investment has increased exponentially in the women’s game. Companies like KPMG, Velocity Global, and American Express have all poured in more dollars this past year than ever.
But LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan has plans to continue growing the game both from a viewership and financial standpoint.
Over the summer, she told Front Office Sports she plans on increasing the quality of television exposure and media coverage.
She wants players to get paid more, too.
“I think [the increased prize purse] just symbolizes the next level of evolution for the tour,” Marcoux Samaan reportedly said. “But I don’t think we feel like we’re done. We feel like there’s much more investment to be had in the women’s game and we’re passionate about getting that.”
