Median LPGA Player Has Earned $205,000 This 2026 Season

The typical LPGA Tour player has earned about $205,000 in official prize money through the FM Championship on Aug. 30, according to the tour's money list, which covers 190 players across 22 events this season. Nelly Korda leads all players with $6,220,214, and only 26 players on tour have reached $1 million.

Why is the median so far below the average?

The 2026 season average sits at $483,295, more than double the median, because a small group of players account for most of the money. Korda alone has earned 6.8% of every official dollar paid to LPGA members this season, and the top 10 players have combined for $28.5 million, close to a third of the total purse distributed. The bottom 95 players, half the tour, have combined for $7.16 million, less than one golfer's total.

Sixty-seven players remain under $100,000 for the season with nine events left, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship on Nov. 22.

How did Nelly Korda earn $6.2 million?

Most of it came from two wins. Korda took the Chevron Championship in April for $1.35 million and the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera in June for $2.5 million from a record $12.5 million purse, accounting for 62% of her season total. The CME Group Tour Championship winner alone collects $4 million, a single check that would top every player's season total except Korda's and runner-up Haeran Ryu's $4,521,414.

What does a caddie cost an LPGA player?

LPGA caddies typically charge $1,700 to $2,500 a week plus 8% to 10% of winnings, according to reporting by the Boston Globe. For a player earning the 2026 median of roughly $205,000 across 20 starts, an 8% cut alone works out to more than $54,000, before travel, coaching and other costs.

A $6.2 million leader and a $205,000 median describe the same money list but not the same tour.

Do LPGA players get a salary?

No. LPGA Tour members are paid through prize money and, for top players, sponsorship deals; there is no base wage tied to a tour card. Full-time status for the following season is determined by Race to the CME Globe points rather than money earned.

What happens when a player misses the cut?

It varies by event. The Chevron Championship and U.S. Women's Open each paid $10,000 to players who missed the cut this year, while the FM Championship offered $1,000 along with hotel rooms, flight vouchers and rental cars. On-course prize money is only part of what top players make; Sportico estimated Korda earned $13.8 million in 2025 once roughly $11 million in sponsorship income is added to her on-course earnings, with Jeeno Thitikul estimated at $10.1 million.

How does LPGA prize money compare to the PGA Tour?

In 2025, the PGA Tour paid out $550.4 million across 46 events, and its 236 money-list players averaged $2,335,280, roughly 3.8 times the LPGA's 2025 average of $612,182. Scottie Scheffler's $27.7 million in 2025 PGA Tour earnings alone was close to a quarter of what the entire LPGA membership earned on course that year.