The stark financial divide between men's and women's professional golf has reached new heights as the 2026 season begins, with earnings data revealing an increasingly troubling disparity.
Jeeno Thitikul claimed the top spot on the 2025 LPGA Tour money list after earning $7,578,330 throughout the season, according to National Club Golfer. However, this impressive total would have placed her just 20th on the PGA Tour's earnings rankings for the same period.
The comparison becomes even more striking when measured against the men's tour leader. Scottie Scheffler dominated the PGA Tour money list with earnings of $27,659,500 across 20 events – nearly four times Thitikul's season-long total.
This disparity extends beyond just the leading money winners. Nelly Korda's 2024 earnings, despite capturing seven tournament victories, fell short of what Rory McIlroy earned for his single Players Championship victory in 2025.
Yet even with such initiatives, the overall prize pool differences remain dramatic. The total prize money available on the LPGA Tour continues to lag significantly behind what's offered on the PGA Tour, creating a cascade effect throughout the earnings rankings.
The earnings gap affects not just the tour's biggest stars but players throughout the money list rankings. While Thitikul's $7.58 million would represent life-changing money for most people, it underscores how even the most successful women's golfers earn fractions of their male counterparts' prizes.
This financial reality has broader implications for the women's game. Lower prize purses can impact everything from player development programs to the tour's ability to attract and retain top talent globally.
The debate over prize money equity in professional golf continues to intensify as both tours expand their schedules and seek new revenue streams. Sponsors and broadcasters play crucial roles in determining purse sizes, and their investment levels directly impact what players can earn.
As the 2026 golf season progresses, the earnings comparison between tours will remain a closely watched metric. The LPGA Tour's efforts to grow prize pools and attract larger sponsorship deals will be critical factors in addressing this persistent disparity.
Fans and industry observers will continue monitoring whether meaningful progress can be made in closing golf's gender pay gap, or if the financial chasm will continue widening as it has in recent years.