‘Wrong on Many Levels’: PGA Tour’s 3,600,000 Revelation Belittling the Masters Leaves Golf World Furious
The PGA Tour returns to action at the RBC Heritage this week. However, this year’s edition won’t be a regular one, with the total purse hiked to a whopping $20 million. Despite the event being scheduled immediately after the Masters Tournament, seventeen of the top 20 players on the OWGR standings make their way to the field. And for good reason, since the RBC Heritage will award more prize money than the illustrious major championship itself.
Winning RBC Heritage more lucrative than Masters?
The RBC Heritage tournament has a long history on the PGA Tour calendar. Debuting in the year 1969, the event has seen its fair share of title sponsors across more than fifty years.
But its shift in prize money has been unprecedented. New rules ahead of the 2023 season placed the RBC Heritage in the ‘elevated tournaments’ section. It has meant a huge bump in the event’s prize money.
While Jordan Spieth, winner of the 2022 edition of the event, took home $1.44 million from the $8 million prize pool, this year’s winner will be awarded an enormous $3.6 million. Interestingly, the figure is more than what Masters winner Jon Rahm won for his maiden Green Jacket, which stands at $3.24 million.
Does RBC Heritage warrant a bigger purse than the Masters Tournament?
The disparity in prize money evidently left the golf community confused. But why does one of the most prestigious golf events on the calendar pay less than the RBC Heritage?
As it stands, the four major championships are conducted by independent organizations. One of them includes the privately-owned Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the prestigious Masters Tournament.
