PGA Championship purse reaches $18.5M

The overall purse for the PGA Championship continues to grow.

After last year's event featured a record $17.5 million purse, the PGA of America announced Saturday that golfers will be playing for an additional $1 million this time around.

Whoever wins this weekend's edition of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., will take home $3.33 million of the $18.5 million pool. Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa head into Sunday's fourth and final round tied for first at 15-under 198, one shot ahead of Sahith Theegala.

The inaugural PGA Championship featured a $2,580 purse, and the winner was awarded $500. That was back in 1916, and the purse didn't increase until 1931, when the field duked it out for a whopping $7,200, with $1,000 going to the victor.

From 2021 to 2022, the purse increased by $3 million, and another $2.5 million was added to last year's purse.