The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has set a new milestone in women’s golf by raising its total prize purse to $13 million at this year’s event held at Hazeltine National Golf Club, surpassing the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time. This $1 million increase from last year breaks modern records in women’s golf, with tournament naming rights partner KPMG, led by CEO Tim Walsh, playing a decisive role in elevating the purse to claim the top spot. Walsh highlighted the importance of the event for KPMG’s brand and aimed to ensure the Women's PGA Championship remained the richest prize in the sport rather than being matched or surpassed.

Despite the overall purse increase, the winner’s payout of $1.95 million remains below the $2.5 million winner’s check that Nelly Korda earned at the U.S. Women’s Open, signaling Korda’s status as a leading figure driving global attention for women's golf. LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler praised Korda, emphasizing efforts to celebrate her success and boost visibility for the sport, including high-profile media appearances and corporate sponsorships like Nike billboards. The rise in purses across all five women’s major championships reflects growing investment and attention in women’s golf but still lags significantly behind men’s major payouts.

The other women’s majors also reported notable purse increases for 2026: the U.S. Women’s Open set its purse at $12.5 million, the AIG Women’s Open at $10 million, the Evian Championship at $9.1 million, and the Chevron Championship at $9 million. While these gains are encouraging, the PGA of America CEO Terry Clark cautions that financials alone don’t define progress; elevating tournament venues, broadcast quality, and player experience play crucial roles in advancing the women’s game. The LPGA acknowledges sponsors’ investment motives linked to business outcomes and stresses the necessity of continuing to earn increased support through growth in the sport's commercial and competitive stature.

Broadcast coverage of the Women’s PGA Championship is also expanding significantly in 2026, with almost 100 hours of live and streaming content available on NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock. Innovations this year include doubling the streaming of featured groups, mic’d-up caddies for the first time, and AI-powered player reels providing performance analysis to all 156 players after rounds. With enhanced fan engagement tools and technological improvements such as the return of ShotLink, the event aims to reinforce its prestige and foster further growth and visibility for women’s professional golf.