How does the 2023 US Women's Open’s $11m purse rate against other big events? Ranking ladies’ tour’s biggest prize purses

The LPGA Tour is currently at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the 2023 US Women's Open. The purse size for this year's event is the biggest in the tournament's history.

The prize money this year is $11 million, which is twice as much as 2021's and $1 million more than the 2022 Championship. The US Women's Open winner will receive $2 million this year, $200K more than last year's winner, Minjee Lee.

The current purse size of the USGA women's event is only $1.5 million less than the men's in the 2021 US Open. However, their purse size has risen by $7.5 million in two years, thanks to the emergence of LIV Golf.

In recent times, consistent effort has been put into increasing the pay of women golfers and giving them the chunk of the pie that they really deserve. Earlier this year, both the LPGA and LET announced an increase in the purses of their tournaments for the new season.

The LPGA announced the combined purse size of the five majors to be $37.9 million and more than $100 million for the whole season.

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Is the US Women's Open's purse size the highest among the ladies' golf tournaments?

Minjee Lee won $1.8 million for her US Women's Open 2022 win

This season, the US Women's Open boasts the highest prize money among all the events, followed by the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, with a purse size of $10 million.

Here's the list of the tournaments with the highest payouts this season:

1. U.S. Women's Open: $11 million
2. KPMG Women's PGA Championship: $10 million
3. AIG Women's Open: $7.3 million
4. CME Group Tour Championship: $7 million
5. Amundi Evian Championship: $6.5 million
6. The Chevron Championship: $5.1 million
7. Pelican Women's Championship: $3.25 million
8. JM Eagle LA Championship: $3 million
9. Cognizant Founders Cup: $3 million
10. Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational: $2.7 million
11. Mizuho Americas Open: $2.75 million
12. Buick LPGA Shanghai: $2.1 million
13. Walmart NW Arkansas Championship: $2.3 million
14. CP Women's Open: $2.35 million
15. Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA: $2.2 million
16. Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio: $2 million
17. Lotte Championship: $2 million
18. Toto Japan Classic: $2 million
19. Kroger Queen City Championship: $2 million
20. BMW Ladies Championship: $2 million
21. Trust Golf Women's Ladies Scottish Open: $2 million
22. HSBC Women's World Championship: $1.8 million
23. Volunteers of America Classic: $1.8 million
24. Portland Classic: $1,500,000
25. Dana Open: $1,750,000
26. DIO Implant LA Open: $1.75 million
27. LPGA Drive-On Championship: $1.75 million
28. ShopRite LPGA Classic: $1.75 million
29. Honda LPGA Thailand: $1.7 million
30. Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions: $1.5 million
31. Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play: $1.5 million
32. ISPS Handa World Invitational: $1.5 million

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Which tournament has the highest payout on the Ladies European Tour?

Lydia Ko won the Aramco Saudi Ladies International 2023, which had a purse size of $5 million

The Ladies European Tour doesn't offer as hefty a payout as the LPGA, but there are a few events with an attractive payout. The Aramco Saudi Ladies International is the tournament with the highest purse size on the Ladies European Tour. The purse size of the PIF-sponsored event was $5 million, and winner Lydia Ko bagged $767,00 for her win.