The Money Is Moving: A Complete History of Purse Growth

The first professional golf tournament in the United States with a significant cash prize was the 1895 U.S. Open. The total purse was $335. Hold that number in your mind as you read the rest of this.

The First Dollar

The winner of the 1895 U.S. Open at Newport Golf Club, Horace Rawlins, received $150. The runner-up received $100. The rest of the field divided what remained. The game was new, the money was modest, and no one in the field had any way of knowing what the number would become.

How the Money Grew

Professional golf prize money grew slowly for the first half of the twentieth century, constrained by limited corporate sponsorship, limited broadcast infrastructure, and a public that attended tournaments in person rather than watching them on screens.

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