The mark is made, regardless of the future of LIV Golf. Whether an agreement to partner with PGA Tour is reached or the Saudi-backed League remains separate and continues as a nemesis to the tour.
LIV forced the PGA Tour to increase purses in order to provide more income opportunities for its players. The top tour earners now have more prize money than their LIV counterparts.
The signing bonus or initial contract was, of course, the largest payout for those who decamped from the PGA Tour and joined LIV. The contracts of a few players, such as Phil Mickelson and Brooke Koepka were worth more than $100 million.
In 2023, the PGA Tour will have distributed more than $560,000,000 in prize money, including $100,000,000 for the Player Impact Program, and $75,000,000 for the Tour Championship. The PIP award goes to the 20 best players who have increased engagement and publicity on the tour.
LIV’s purse total increased to $405 millions in the second year of its existence. LIV’s purse consists of $115 million for the team and $30 million divided among the top three finishers in the individual season-long race.
The LIV calendar includes 14 events compared with 38 on the PGA Tour. The top earners play 20 to 25 events on Tour, but some only 18, while others may only play 23. LIV golfers that qualify for four majors must play at least 18 tournaments. Each golfer plays a few tournaments on the other tours.
LIV’s massive contracts and increased purses certainly caught the PGA Tour’s attention, and forced the tour to drastically increase its prize money. The Tour’s prize money total has increased significantly since 2021, when it was under $400 million.
The threat of players leaving LIV was certainly a factor. However, the money needed to fund these events had to be raised somehow. The Tour relied on sponsors for the eight events that had purses of $20 million, but it also received a boost from the nine-year deals CBS, NBC, and ESPN signed in 2022.
After the PIP money was distributed, the 2023 money list became final. The top 10 players earned about $220,000,000 combined, compared to the top 10 of LIV who won approximately $147,000,000 in prize money.
LIV’s totals include the individual share of the $50 million season-ending team event at Doral but exclude the $5 million each of the top three teams received in each other 13 events. Captains decide how much money each team will give to its four players, and how much they’ll put into the pot for team operating costs.
PGA Tour (led Hovland by Gooch) vs. LIV Golf
Viktor Hovland with the FedEx Cup, after winning the Tour Championship 2023 at East Lake Golf Club Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images).
Viktor Hovland topped this year’s PGA Tour money list, earning $37.1 million. This is about $1 million higher than the top earner on LIV, Talor Gooch.
Hovland earned $14.1 million in tournament earnings, $18 millions for the FedEx Cup win and $5,000,000 for the PIP.
Gooch earned $17.3 million in 14 events. He also won $18 million as the winner of the individual title, and $800,000.000 as his share for the team competition held at Doral. Gooch was part of RangeGoats which came in second.
Hovland’s earnings were followed by Rory McIlroy who took home $32.9 million. The top prize of the PIP brought him $15 million. Scottie Scheffler made a record-breaking $21 million in tour money before bonuses pushed his total up to $29 millions. Jon Rahm earned $26.2 million including $16.2 on tour and $8 million from the PIP.
The top five earners in LIV were Gooch and Smith ($23.2 millions), Koepka (17.7millions), DeChambeau (14.7millions) and Harold Varner, III ($9.9millions).
Smith won $8 million for finishing second in the individual race, behind Gooch. Koepka, who finished third in the individual race and won $4 million, received a bonus.
Rahm and McIlroy each played in 18 tour events, while Hovland and Schauffele both made 23 starts.
Smith, Koepka, and DeChambeau each played 14 LIV tournaments and four majors. Varner and Gooch both qualified for two majors.
Koepka, who won the PGA Championship, was the top earner in LIV amongst those who competed in the majors. He earned $5.1 million.
