The PGA Tour’s flagship event has concluded with 123 players being whittled down to one who entered the winner’s circle at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, after 72 holes at the 2026 Players Championship. Hoping to take home one of the biggest titles in golf, the best players in the world were also competing for one of the game’s grandest prizes.
Cameron Young emerged from the field on Sunday, overcoming 54-hole leader Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick, who held the lead entering the final hole. Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre finished in the top four spots, earning full shares of their placements.
The Players Championship purse is $25 million, the richest of any event outside of the year-end Tour Championship, and Young gets to pocket $4.5 million. Overall, The Players pays out $5 million more than the PGA Tour’s signature events and $3.5 million more than the largest major championship purse (U.S. Open), offering golfers an opportunity to earn life- and career-changing money.
A big week at The Players can set someone up financially for years, even for those who do not enter the winner’s circle. The best example of that was last year’s runner-up, J.J. Spaun, who picked up the most substantial paycheck of his career by finishing second to Rory McIlroy in a playoff. Spaun spoke afterwards about how meaningful that was after grinding just to keep his PGA Tour card. That performance on The Players stage — and the sudden financial stability he was provided — freed him up to have the best season of his career, peaking with a U.S. Open victory in June.
A top-five finish (without ties) at The Players earns a golfer over $1 million, a top 10 finish pays out over $680,000, a top 20 placement wins more than $330,000, and every player who makes it inside the cut line of the top 65 and ties will earn more than $50,000. It is the flagship event for a reason, and the PGA Tour ensures there is every possible reason for players to try and be at their best at The Players.
Check out the payouts for each position on the leaderboard from The Players’ $25 million purse.
2026 Players Championship purse, prize money
1st: $4,500,000 — Cameron Young
2nd: $2,725,000 — Matt Fitzpatrick
3rd: $1,725,000 — Xander Schauffele
4th: $1,225,000 — Robert MacIntyre
5th: $1,025,000
6th: $906,250
7th: $843,750
8th: $781,250
9th: $731,250
10th: $681,250
11th: $631,250
12th: $581,250
13th: $531,250
14th: $481,250
15th: $456,250
16th: $431,250
17th: $406,250
18th: $381,250
19th: $356,250
20th: $331,250
21st: $306,250
22nd: $281,250
23rd: $261,250
24th: $241,250
25th: $221,250
26th: $201,250
27th: $193,750
28th: $186,750
29th: $178,750
30th: $171,250
31st: $163,750
32nd: $156,250
33rd: $148,750
34th: $142,500
35th: $136,250
36th: $130,000
37th: $123,750
38th: $118,750
39th: $113,750
40th: $108,750
41st: $103,750
42nd: $98,750
43rd: $93,750
44th: $88,750
45th: $83,750
46th: $78,750
47th: $73,750
48th: $69,750
49th: $66,250
50th: $64,250
51st: $62,750
52nd: $61,250
53rd: $60,250
54th: $59,250
55th: $58,750
56th: $58,250
57th: $57,750
58th: $57,250
59th: $56,750
60th: $56,250
61st: $55,750
62nd: $55,250
63rd: $54,750
64th: $55,250
65th: $53,750
