PGA Tour Ups Prize Purses in ‘Arms Race’ With LIV Golf

As more top-ranked golfers defect for the LIV Golf Series, the PGA Tour is making changes to compete with its well-heeled rival.

The Tour is raising prize purses and adjusting its calendar and the rules of certain tournaments.

• The prize purses of eight tournaments will increase by a total of $53.8 million. The Players Championship’s purse will rise to $25 million, from $20 million this season, and six others will grow to $20 million.
• The Tour will return to a calendar-year schedule in 2024.
• There will be three new no-cut tournaments, a change that partly matches LIV’s system in which each golfer is guaranteed a spot in tournaments for which they’re under contract.

This week, Brooks Koepka became the latest major tournament winner to accept a reported signing bonus of over $100 million to leave the PGA Tour for LIV.

LIV is considering adding a women’s tour or organizing mixed tournaments, sources confirmed to Front Office Sports.

Same Market, Different Goals

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan did not mince words in discussing the challenge of competing with a league with seemingly bottomless resources and in no apparent rush to turn a profit.

“If this is an arms race, and if the only weapons here are dollar bills, the PGA Tour can’t compete,” said Monahan, calling LIV an “irrational threat.” 

“The PGA Tour, an American institution, can’t compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in an attempt to buy the game of golf.”