Rory McIlroy defeated J.J. Spaun in a three-hole playoff Monday morning to win The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. McIlroy earned $4.5 million for the title, while Spaun pocketed $2.725 million.
The two golfers finished Sunday’s weather-delayed final round tied at 12-under, and the playoff took place on the course’s last three holes, including Sawgrass’ famous 17th with its island green. Spaun splashed his tee shot at 17 on Monday, which largely sealed the win for McIlroy with his ball safely on the green.
The disparity in the two golfers’ resumes is stark. Spaun has one PGA Tour win and 24 top-10 finishes since he turned pro in 2012. The 35-year-old McIlroy is a year older and has now won 28 times on the Tour, plus 18 in Europe, along with 127 top-10 finishes.
McIlroy has won $156 million in career prize money, including $56 million in FedEx payouts. Spaun’s career haul is $17 million. Last year, McIlroy earned an estimated $79.8 million, including $45 million off the course from sponsors, which ranked 17th among the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Golf prize money has skyrocketed since the launch of LIV Golf in 2022, as the PGA bumped payouts to keep golfers from joining the new tour. In 2023, the PGA Tour raised its payout $125 million to $643 million, including $100 million for the Player Impact Program (PIP) and $75 million for the Tour Championship. The total was nearly $680 million in 2024.
The Players has the largest total purse on the PGA Tour at $25 million, while most “elevated” events dole out $20 million. The U.S. Open had the largest payout at golf’s major events last year at $21.5 million, followed by the Masters at $20 million.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was the biggest beneficiary of the Tour’s new economic model, as he earned $76.3 million in prize money and bonuses in 2024 when he won nine events.
